Corona's Diary
by triple lambda
Summary: A series of one-shots and multipart one-shots in chronological order like a diary! Detailing all of the kingdoms events mostly around Rapunzel and Eugene. You should read it, you wont regret it! T for touchy subjects and to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: July 15, year 0

Corona's Diary

**A/N:** After hours of searching, I am making the executive/Author's decision to have Rapunzel's birthday be July 14. This diary/one-shot (might turn out to not be like one shots at all but have many different storylines) starts with Rapunzel and Eugene going back to the kingdom after the death of Mother Gothel. A few more things: The progression of the story will not always be one day at a time (you'd have a hundred chapters by Christmas time) and, depending on the chapter, you will have a different point of view (first person, third person ect.) Enough of my rambling! This is only my second Fanfic but I hope you like it! (As with any fanfic author, reviews = faster updates.

**Another A/N:** I apologies in advance for any typos, grammar mistakes, and flaws in the original story plot. If you wish to critique me for it, i will be glad to hear it so i may further my advances. oh and I am pretty sure I am not Walt Disney in any way shape or form so i do not own tangled or the story or the characters presented to you in the movie. i do however, unofficially own any tangents to the story, new parts of the story, names not mentioned in the movie, and any new characters. If you wish to use anything from my story, feel free to ask, I'm sure I wont have a problem I just want to know when my stuff is being used (if it is used that is.)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: July 15, year 0<strong>

Rapunzel's mood the whole way back to the kingdom mimicked their first time to the kingdom. Good thing they had Maximus to slowly trot them back home or else it would have taken forever to get back if she stopped every time her mood changed. Her emotions were battling each other the whole. One minute she's super excited cause she's finally meeting her real parents the next she's crying over almost losing Eugene. If it wasn't that it was the fact she witnessed the death of someone she knew for her entire life.

Eugene couldn't quite figure it out. How could she be upset that the person who kidnapped her and held her in that tower her whole life had died? Shouldn't she be happy? Eugene decided to put the thought away when he noticed her starting to cry again. He didn't like it when she cried.

"Hey," he started, trying to comfort her. "It's ok now."

"I know it is… but…" she began to say, unable to finish as more sobs came out.

"But what?" he asked, trying to cohort the answer to his question out of her.

"I knew her my whole life." She managed to get out between sobs. "True I wanted to never see her again but I didn't want her to die…"

"Rapunzel… you amaze me."

"What?" she questioned as she turned around to face Eugene who was sitting behind her on Maximus with his arms raped around her stomach.

"I mean, after all that woman put you through, you still didn't want her to come to harm. That is either the stupidest thing I've ever heard or the most wonderful thing I've ever heard." He told her. It was true though. What Rapunzel told him showed him that she had the best heart in the kingdom. She could never wish harm on anyone no matter what they did. Sure, she could hate someone with a fiery passion but she wouldn't want them to come into harm's way. It was… remarkable really.

"You think I'm stupid?" she asked, with a hint of sarcasm involved.

"No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, obviously not hinting at the sarcasm.

"Oh calm down silly, I was being sarcastic." She noted before _he_ got upset. "You know, for being the world's most notorious thief, your very vulnerable."

"You have a way of lowering someone's guard."

"Or perhaps just your guard?" she questioned, with a loving smile on her face. Eugene didn't know how he did it but he pulled her out of a low mood point straight into a high mood point in mere seconds. He didn't even have to use the smolder!

"Just mine." He grinned back, leaning in to give her a kiss. Rapunzel is still trying to get used to the whole kissing thing. She knew that it happened, Gothel kissed her cheek a few times but it was nothing like this. She felt warm and fuzzy inside. After the initial euphoria of their first kiss in the tower, she had thought perhaps she was sick. Eventually she realized this feeling to be a very good thing. After all, why would something that felt so good be bad for you? She really liked this kissing thing.

For the last couple of minutes before they reached the kingdom, Rapunzel just laid back on Eugene as he stroked her hair. Once the kingdom came into view, the sweet surrender didn't last long as new emotion reared its ugly head: fear.

"Oh no…" she mumbled. "I can't do this. What if they don't recognize me? What if they don't accept you? What if they cut my hair! Oh no…"

Eugene sat in shock after everything she just said. She talked faster than Maximus could run and her voice was filled with doom.

"Don't worry. They will recognize you, I rescued the lost princess, and your hair's already been cut." He said, trying to calm her down. She had a hard time realizing she didn't have 70 feet of hair anymore.

Upon reaching the gates of the kingdom, a squad of soldiers walked by and instantly recognized Eugene from the wanted posters. This didn't sit well with him considering the level of artistic prowess invested in the poster. But before the guards could do anything, Maximus held them off. Rapunzel told them she was the lost princess and Eugene had rescued her. Thanks to Maximus' persistence, the guards didn't apprehend Eugene. Perhaps Max was warming up to Eugene. Or, more likely, he had just rescued Eugene from execution and he didn't want it to go to waste.

Rapunzel and Eugene sat at the entrance to the palace for what felt like forever, at least for Rapunzel it did. Neither of them spoke a word but just glanced at the kingdom. A few passerby's below noticed Rapunzel and her striking resemblance to the queen and people started to stop and stare. Whisperings could be heard as a large crowd started to form. Suddenly, the squeak of the palace doors could be heard and Rapunzel slowly turned around. The encounter could not be described in words. If it had to be, it was a mixture of a dream come true, years of sadness washed away, and all the happiness in the world combined into one single moment in time.

The King and Queen decided to let the kingdom know on the spot so that preparations could be made and so that the kingdom could share in the wonderful moment as well.

"People of Corona!" the king bellowed to the massive crowd that gathered below. "yesterday we set off the lanterns in great sadness for the lost princess. But next year, we set off the lanterns in great happiness for the princess has returned!"

Eugene was caught off balanced by the deafening roar of the kingdom as the all simultaneously cheered for the princess' return. She was waving to everyone in the crowd, happy as she could ever be. And Eugene just watched her in all her stunning beauty and amazing personality. She truly was a princess worth waiting for.

**another another A/U:** Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of MANY. I will be working on the subsequent chapters for the entire weekend so expect more soon. and like i said above, reviews, good or bad, mean faster updates.


	2. Chapter 2: July 16, year 0

Corona's Diary Chapter 2

**A/N** Truth be told, I started this right after uploading the first chapter. I couldn't wait for people to read it. Anyways, this is where I tell you I don't own tangled but I do own everything else I thought up. This fanfiction is supposed to be a little darker than the movie but don't worry, once it gets into full swing ity'll have its fantastic moments as well. I realize that the first 2 chapters may have been a little darker than we'd like but once the story getsd going, we'll jave many good chapters and many bad chapters, lets just say it might be an emotional rollercoaster for our princess. One more note: i see you all reading the the chapters, you could you please comment as well? it would be GREATLY appreciated.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: July 16, year 0<strong>

She woke up in a strange place. After 18 years of waking up in the same room in that tower, the change of scenery was… welcomed? She didn't know really. She missed all her paintings she had worked so hard on. She missed her furniture. The furniture here was nice but it wasn't her furniture and the walls where a nice shade of white that glowed when the sun came through her curtains. But the walls were blank; devoid of color or life. The bed was a fantastic change though. The bed was easily twice as large as her old bed. Being the hyper-active person she was, she tended to move a lot in her sleep. This was something she wasn't able to do in her old bed.

She sat up in bed and took a nice stretch to start off the day. She was still getting used to everything that happened over the past three days: leaving her tower for the first time, going on an adventure, falling in love, finding her true identity, and receiving a new (yet wonderful, she noted) family. It was a lot for one person to take in. Then she remembered what was happening before the celebration and it hit her like a ton of bricks. They were going to evaluate Eugene and his crimes. Needless to say, she started to panic.

"Oh my god I have to get ready." She mumbled to herself, frantically getting out of bed. She only had the same dress she always wore and her nightgown. Luckily, the maids were willing to clean her dress every night and her nightgown every day until she got her new wardrobe. After several failed attempts, thanks to nervous hands, she got her dress on and went to sprint out the door. She turned around and went to ball up her hair so she could run faster. But in her frantic worrying, she had forgotten she no longer had 70 feet of hair. There was a mirror on the wall placed on the wall in front of her and she stared at her blond-less hair. She missed her hair. It made her… distinct from everyone else. She slowly made her way to the door as a tear rolled down her face.

She made it just before the trial had begun. The king and queen sat in the front of the room with their new found daughter next to them. She was nervous and everyone could see that but couldn't understand why. Rapunzel hadn't really gotten around to telling her parents about her feelings for him. I mean, it had to be obvious enough the way they acted around each other. In all honesty, the reason she didn't say anything was because she wasn't sure if it was proper etiquette.

The doors to the trial room were pushed open and two guards escorted Eugene into the room. To Rapunzel's relief, they had not handcuffed him. He was also allowed a bed in one of the servants quarters for the night too.

"Mr. Eugene Fitzherbert," started her father, the king. "You stand here today to be evaluated by myself and the queen. Should we find you in need of punishment, so be it. Bear in mind that said punishment could range anywhere from a few days in jail to death."

The word had apparently struck a chord with Rapunzel. She obviously seemed aghast by the word and only Eugene really knew why. Everyone else in the audience thought that perhaps it was because this was her first trial, but Eugene knew better.

"Your crimes against the kingdom are as follows: petty theft, minor theft, mild theft, severe theft, and _murder_." Time seemed to slow down for Rapunzel when the last crime was said. She knew Eugene for a total of 3 days but she absolutely knew he wouldn't hurt another human let alone kill someone. She was shocked, angry, upset, and confused all at the same time. She looked at Eugene and noticed he was starting to tear up and attempting to avoid eye contact with her. What she didn't know was the circumstances of the murder. However, it seemed like she would find out soon enough. "Care to elaborate on these Fitzherbert?" asked the king.

"The thefts, I do not have an excuse for. At one point I thought it was because I couldn't make money at all… but now I know it's because I never really tried to make any legitimate money. It had seemed like the better option at the time." Rapunzel had known the truth he spoke. During their first trip to the kingdom, he had told her his back story save the supposed murder. And that was the only part she cared about.

"It is good to see a criminal reconcile about what he's done. And technically the severe theft could be erased because you did return it and it lead to the return of the princess. However, we're far more interested in your murder charge, so please continue rider."

"You mean Eugene, dad."

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, Eugene." He corrected himself. He obviously didn't like Eugene that much, at least not now, and it was beginning to show.

"The murder was in self defense your majesty."

"Oh yes, of course it was. I mean, what was that man thinking when he attacked you in his home as you were stealing his belongings?"

"Your majesty I can assure you that not a day goes by without me seeing his face. I was young and foolish. Did you know he died in my arms? After I struck the mortal blow and the man was dying, I caught him as he fell to the ground and with his dying breath he told me that he hopes I never forget what I've done. I sobbed to him that I was sorry as he died. I even stayed with him a few minutes after he died."

"What a heart touching story fitzherbert. Why don't you tell it to his son! All you have to do is go to the orphanage. He's about 13 now. He was 9 when he stumbled upon his father's body. His mother, so wrought with sadness, became ill and died not a month after the fact. You, Flynn Rider, orphaned a little boy! The boy will never lead a normal life because of you! This should be considered three counts of murder!"

Rapunzel couldn't believe what she heard. To add to the list of things she couldn't believe at the time was that Eugene was on the floor hands to his face. He was all out crying in front of an entire audience of people. Flynn Rider would not have committed this display of emotion. No Flynn Rider was dead, and now Eugene had to take his place in punishment.

"However," started the king, earning a few whispers in the audience as well as everyone's, Eugene included, attention. "You have brought back the lost princess, my daughter, so that will surely lessen your punishment. But now, I must confer with my justice council before judgment is passed. We will return when we have our decision. Rapunzel, you may keep the man company in the meantime." And just like that, the king, queen, and a group of 3 left the hall. Rapunzel came scurrying over to Eugene.

"Hey…" he said as he diverted his eyes to the ground. "so how much do you hate me?"

"Eugene I could never hate you." She said as she gently brought his chin up so that he was looking at her. "I'm furious with Flynn Rider though."

"We're the same person Rapunzel." He told her. But she knew that, everyone did.

"Then answer my question. Why we're you crying?"

"I was crying because…" he said as he thought about it. "Because I put a child into the same situation that I was in. Both my parents were murdered but I was much younger than 9 when it happened. But that's not the only reason. I took someone life. Two peoples lives by the sound of it. I can see how you felt about Mother Gothel's death now. Good or bad, ugly or pretty, no one deserves to have their life taken. And you know what Rapunzel? I never would have realized that if you hadn't come along."

"Well… technically you came along…"

"Nuance. But I want you to know something. I will never wish death upon someone unless they harm the ones I love. I promise."

"Good." She said as she hugged him. This got the crowd talking realizing that they might be more than damsel in distress and rescuer. But the chatter didn't last long as a decision had been made and everyone made their way to their places. Eugene didn't like this one bit. It took them too short to make a decision. This was either really good or really bad.

"Eugene Fitzherbert. A decision has been made. We thank you whole heartedly for the return of our princess and we are forever grateful. But your past is not one to be forgotten due to a good deed, regardless of the size of said good deed." Said the king. Eugene had heard a soft but prominent 'no…' come from Rapunzel. She could see it coming. He could see it coming. Everyone could see it coming.

"Eugene Fitzherbert you are, for your outstanding crimes against the kingdom, sentenced to death by hanging."

"NO!" shouted quite possibly the smallest adult in the hall. The walls of the hall vibrated by the intensity of the shout. Everyone, king and queen included, stared at Rapunzel. "This is not the man you think he is! Flynn Rider found me in my captivity but it was Eugene Fitzherbert that rescued me. Flynn Rider was one who committed those crimes, not Eugene Fitzherbert. And he didn't just rescue me. He showed me freedom. He taught me how to be free. He taught me how to love!" tears were now flowing down her face. "If you still wish to kill him then you'll have to kill me too…"

The room remained silent for several moments. Rapunzel left her place beside her parents and stood with Eugene who was holding and comforting her. The king and queen shared glances along with the justice council. The audience was happy they came to the trial, it had a real plot twist!

"Eugene Fitzherbert," started the king. Eugene didn't look at the king for he was too busy trying to comfort Rapunzel. "Seeing a whole new set of circumstances and other things previously hidden, we have decided to change your punishment." The couple holding each other turned and faced the king with a questioning look on their faces. "Mr. Fitzherbert, your punishment will be guard the princess of Corona with your life. It seems like you gained a lot today Eugene: a heart, a woman, and a pardon."

"Your majesty, it would be my honor to guard your daughter" he said with a bow. "You are a great king and I am humbled by your wisdom."

"Ok boy, no need to suck up. You have your pardon for now but we will keep a close eye on you. Your past actions are your past and for that, we must be a little weary. But I am a strong believer in people leading a new, changed life. We shall see if your really Eugene Fitzherbert and if Flynn Rider is gone."

"Yes your majesty. But may I request another part to my punishment?" Eugene asked the king. Both Rapunzel and the King looked at him like he'd gone mad.

"What did you have in mind?" responded the king.

"To go and apologize to the boy who's father I killed."

"Well, well, well Eugene Fitzherbert. I will add it to your punishment as well. And may I just say that while you are, as you say, 'humbled by my intelligence', I am humbled by your change in character. Your off to a great start, boy,"

**A/N: **oh now you didn't think that I would let the king kill Eugene now did you? I know, there are plenty of other fanfics that do the whole "trial" thing but it's kinda necessary in order to fit into the story. It just doesn't make sense not to have it. but anyways, another chapter today! I promise! Reviews are greatly appreciated and I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes.


	3. Chapter 3: July 19, year 0

Corona's Diary Chapter 3

**A/N: **As promised, another chapter today. And also as promised, a happier chapter! In case you don't notice it on the chapter date, I've skipped a few days. Three days to be precise. Get used to skipping days (even weeks) from here on out because like I said in the A/N for chapter one, a chapter for every day would be way too much for me and my readers. But of course, it will still stay in chronological order. Think of this story as one GIANT story with several sub-stories (by the end I'm hoping for the number of sub-stories to be in several tens and, if it gets really popular, several hundred detailing the entire life of Rapunzel and Eugene) so get ready for the story to kick up and have an emotional ride of your life cause I'm aiming to make you cry, laugh, weep, and be overjoyed by the rest of Rapunzel's and Eugene's story.

**IMPORTANT A/N: **this pertains to THIS chapter. There will be a song and a dance. You will be made aware of the song title in the story and will be given an indication of the song starting. I recommend listening to the song at the part that it starts at. But that is optional. The song is not owned by me in any way shape or form and I take ABSOLUTELY no credit for it. It just happens to fit perfectly with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: July 19<strong>**, ****year 0**

The celebrations for the princess return had been going on for 4 days now, starting on the day of his trial, and Eugene was really starting to warm up to the place. He had spent nearly every waking moment so far with Rapunzel and he was loving it. Everyone in the kingdom could see how the two felt for each other and everyone most certainly heard the tale of the heart touching trial not a week before hand. Most of the kingdom felt, and honestly they didn't know why, that their princess was in good hands with Eugene. The couple had just finished eating lunch in the square and now it was time for Rapunzel's favorite part of the celebration.

"Come on Eugene!" she exclaimed, obviously joyful for the coming event. "Where going to miss the start if you don't hurry up and I've started it every day so far. Are you trying to ruin my reputation?" she smiled at him, hand on her hip.

"Ok ok, I'm coming." He told her. He wasn't to particularly happy about the upcoming event but it made her happy. "You know I don't like to dance."

"You seemed happy the first time we danced."

"Well that was because…" he started. He was remembering the first time they danced. It was on her birthday a mere 5 days ago and he was only really happy at the end when they finally found each other. "It's because I got to dance _with _you. Albeit it was only for a split second at the end of the song but still, I haven't got to dance with you at all these past couple days."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But, I do have a surprise for you today. I'm having Hook-Hand play a new song today."

"Don't you find it odd that he won't tell us his name?" Eugene questioned.

"I've looked at his papers. He legally changed it to Hook-Hand. His name is Hook-Hand Amadeus."

"Strange name."

"Don't get me started on Mr. Fitzherbert." She retorted. He pouted at her. "Oh silly, I'm just playing. You know I love your name. It's unique!"

"And Rapunzel isn't?" he asked.

"Well my name is a _given_ at being Unique." She answered. She was right though, Eugene thought. Fitzherbert is more likely to be found elsewhere than Rapunzel is. "We made it!"

The couple entered the biggest part of the kingdom, right in front of the palace. Hook-Hand could be seen looking for the couple from his perch where the piano was. It was ingenious really, the positioning of the band. From up there, the notes played couldn't easily be caught up in the dancers and everyone could hear them. Hook-Hand stood up and introduced the couple.

"Introducing the princess and her escort, Rapunzel and Eugene!" he said with his deep toned voice. "They will be leading us off in the dancing as usual. However, we will be taking a change of pace today." The gatherers started to make the circle for dancing and whispering could be heard about what he could have possibly meant by change of pace. "Today's song is involves singing and so I introduce Sir John of Felton, the world renowned singer!"

A man made his way to the front of the platform and bowed before the audience. The man was wearing a slightly flamboyant outfit and was wearing a new invention that just started to make its way to Corona, glasses. "Thank you Hook-Hand." He started. "It honors me to be part of the rejoicing for the return of your princess Corona. This is one of my most famous song pieces and I am absolutely sure you will love it. It's called 'Can You Feel the Love tonight.'"

The name of the song bounced around in Eugene's head for a few seconds before he realized it was a love song. It was perfect. 'Flynn Rider wouldn't have been pleased with the idea of a slow dance. But I am Eugene Fitzherbert.' He thought to himself.

He tapped on Rapunzel's shoulder and she turned around with a big smile on her face.

"Princess Rapunzel," he started, bowing in the process. "May I have this dance?"

Her face lit up and his question. She already knew they were going to start the dance but… he was being so romantic!

"I didn't think Eugene Fitzherbert was the romantic type." She said as she took his hand and he lead into the center of the circle. "You know what I'm saying?"

"I'm starting to." He wrapped his arms around her lower back and she did the same around his neck.

The band started to play and the song was extraordinarily pleasant to the ears. Right from the start of the song it was obviously a slow song. Eugene was looking down into the massive meadows of green that swayed in her beautiful eyes. She was perfect. Eugene was sure that if anyone in the audience didn't know what true love was, just the look in his eyes and hers was sure enough to show them what it was. The couple was swaying back in force while slowly turning. They looked like some of the lanterns that when released tended to twirl around each other.

"There's a calm surrender… to the rush of day…" started the lyrics to the song. His voice blended perfectly with the instruments being played.

Rapunzel had closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest. Upon doing so, he laid his head on top of hers and closed his eyes as well. For once in his life, Eugene didn't have a care in the world. He wasn't checking his surroundings or looking for escape routes. No, it was just him and her. During the dance, Eugene quickly forgot about everything else. All he could think about, feel, smell, and hear was Rapunzel. He wasn't aware of the audience watching the two and frankly, he didn't care.

"It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer… that we got this far. And can you feel the love tonight. How it's laid to rest? It's enough to make kings and vagabonds. Believe the very best."

As the end of the first part, Eugene felt another presence enter the circle. Perhaps, he thought, the commoners were going to join in. Little did he know, they were too stunned by the couple already dancing to even think about entering the circle. Eugene snuck a peek to see who it was and was shocked that the King and Queen themselves had entered the circle. The Queen had a river of tears down her face. Eugene would later find out that this was because of him and his love for her daughter. The King had the biggest smile Eugene had ever seen. Obviously, Eugene was doing something right for a change.

"There's a time for everyone… If they only learn…"

Rapunzel couldn't explain what she was feeling. Why was she crying? Surely this was an amazing thing, right? It was. Perhaps she was crying as all the events leading up to this moment finally caught up to her. Perhaps she was crying because of how safe she felt in his arms. She concluded to herself that it was a combination of the two. Everything she went through had put an emotional toll on her. But she was safe. She _knew _that as long as she was in his arms, no harm could come to her. He was _her _flower.

For the rest of the song, the two couples danced slowly. Not a voice but the singer's was heard.

"It's enough... to make kings and vagabonds… believe the very best…" were the finishing words to the song and the instruments slowly preceded to end the song.

The younger couple, while still in each other's hands, pulled away to look at each other. Eugene could see her tear stained face and her smile. Upon seeing that face… that over joyful face that could only be accompanied by a heart about to fail due to gratuitous amounts of love… he realized that until this moment, he himself didn't even know what true love.

* * *

><p>"Where are you taking me Eugene?" she questioned him.<p>

"It's my turn to give you a surprise." He told her. They were riding Maximus and they had left the city. They had been going through the forest and Rapunzel could note it was starting to get dark out.

"Uh, are you sure about this? The sun will be going down soon."

"That's the point."

She was beyond confused now. What could he possibly want to show her about the night? But then she saw it. They came upon a cliff and from there she could see the entire ocean laid out in front of her. The sun was minutes away from setting and because of it, had gotten sizably larger.

"I bet you've never seen the sunset over the ocean before, have you?" he asked her.

"I… wow." Was all she could manage at first. "I've never seen a sunset at all." Her room in the castle was situated on the east side overlooking the kingdom and from inside the city, the castle itself blocks the view. On her birthday when Eugene took her on the boat, the sun was already gone and the sky was lit by the remainder of the sun's light, more commonly known as dusk.

Eugene had reached into one of the pouches on Max's side and pulled out a blanket and placed it on the ground near the edge. He sat on it and motioned for a stunned Rapunzel to make her way over, carefully of course. They sat in silence waiting for the sun to kiss the ocean. Rapunzel could not begin to describe the beauty she was witnessing. The sun was about half way down when the silence was broke.

"I love you, Rapunzel."

"I love you too, Eugene." She said back as more tears started to roll down her face.

"Rapunzel you've cried more in the past week than anyone in the kingdom has in their entire life."

"I know, but it's a good kind of crying." She sobbed. He just took her into his arms as they watched the sun finally disappear. Neither of them wanted this moment to end. And so they just laid there. Minutes quickly became hours and before he knew it, she was asleep. He got up and slowly lifted her up. The King wouldn't be pleased if they spent the night out in the woods together. Once he had her off the ground, she put her arms around his neck. At first he thought she had awoken but realized she did this in her sleep.

He turned around to see that Max already had the blanket in the pouch.

"Max, you have got to be the smartest animal in the world." He whispered to Max. he got a smug grin on his face and they began to walk back.

* * *

><p>No one disturbed him as he walked to Rapunzel's room. The King and Queen were frantic upon seeing her in his arms like that, fearing the worst. He had given them a reassuring nod and they both let out a thankful sigh.<p>

He made it to her room without waking her up. It was quite a feat considering the distance walked. He slowly walked over to her bed and gently laid her down. She had the second biggest smile he's ever seen on her face, the King's being first. He just watched her sleep for a few minutes. He thought 'I could spend my life in this sweet surrender' but the King wouldn't have it. So he walked out her room and closed the door behind him. He walked to his room and promptly fell asleep. Unfortunately, there were no mirrors in his room else he would have found a new 'biggest-smile' champion.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Well, I told you I wasn't going to give you another sad chapter! Oh and don't think you guys can hide from me, I see you all reading my story. So please try to review if you read it, I was ecstatic for my first two reviews! (another thing, can you find the Aerosmith reference?)


	4. Chapter 4: October 31, year 0

Corona's Diary Chapter 4

**A/N: **HOLY CRAP 4 chapters in 24 hours. in the words of a once great man "Good things come to those who review," I wonder where all my reviews are. At first I was like D: but then I got a review and was like :D but then no one else reviewed and I was like D: again. Anyhow, review rant over, I decided to release chapter 4 today was well. Hopefully 4 chapters in one day will spark some reviews. My bad off the review rant. I've skipped 3 months and when we arrive, we meet our dastardly duo on Halloween Day. It's a rather confusing holiday for Rapunzel. First, first-person chapter thus far. Enjoy

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: October 31, year 0<p>

"This doesn't make any sense." I mumbled to myself as I rummaged through the library. Hundreds of books and not one of them had what I was looking for. I had spent most of the last week here trying to solve this perplexing puzzle. "If it's to celebrate those who passed then why, WHY I ask, do we ask for a trick or a treat."

"Argh I found me booty!" exclaimed someone from behind me. I knew who it was by the sound of his voice but why was he talking in such a funny way? And what does he mean by booty?

"Eugene, why are you-" I started to ask. I couldn't finish my question because I was flabbergasted when I turned to face him. He was wearing the most _peculiar_ outfit possible. He had on a black hat with a skull on it, pants far too big for his size with a belt on, black and white striped shirt, and an eye patch. The only 'normal' part about him was the boots were the same.

"Argh I be a pirate!" he told me. Why was he a pirate? Did I miss something?

"Eugene, are you feeling alright?" I asked him, trying to get a diagnosis. "Did you hit your head? Are you having hallucinations?" I had started to panic. He must have been injured somehow. I had to get help.

"Whoa! Calm down blondie! I am fine. It's a costume. You know, for Halloween?"

"Eugene. I wish you wouldn't call me blondie anymore…" I told him. He knew I missed my hair.

"I'm sorry but I think it's stuck, the nickname that is. But it's only a nickname. I'm not trying to upset you." He reassured me.

"I know…" I started to say. "Wait… now there's costumes involved? What else don't I know about Halloween?"

"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me you don't know about Halloween?" he asked. "Why it's my favorite Holiday! You can be whoever you want to be! And get candy from people!"

"Yes. I understand that there is candy involved but what I don't understand is _why _candy and now costumes are involved." I told him.

"Well… just because. Think of it as more of a random celebration to break the monotony of everyday life."

"I don't know. Celebrations need to have a meaning." I told him. At least, that's what I felt about celebrations.

"Tell you what, the reason is to have fun. I even had a costume made for you. And going by the comment made earlier about your hair, I really think you'll like it." He told me. Great, I told myself, add to my confusion some more Eugene. He led me to his room where he said he hid my costume. There wasn't much I wanted to be for Halloween. Then again, I had just learned of the holiday so I haven't really thought about it. We entered his room, still located in the servants quarters even though I wanted more for him. His room was… quaint. Not too big but nice enough to live in. the bed was big enough for one person and he had the necessary furniture.

"Ok now," he directed me. "Close your eyes. I am going to put your costume on for you and then you get to see what it is. Don't worry, it's easy to put on and does not require removal of clothing so your father won't kill me."

"Okay." I shyly told him as I closed my eyes. He put something on my head, a hat, and tucked all my brown hair into it. After shifting it about several times, he finally got it where he wanted it and secured the heavy object with a string, tying it to my head.

"Okay. Open your eyes."

I opened my eyes and looked around. Everything looked the same. I was in my usual dress still, nothing on my feet or hands. Nothing… Wait a minute. What was that behind me? It's hitting the back of my legs too. Is this… is this hair? And then I had recognized what the costume was and I started to tear up. It was an exact replica of my braided blonde hair just like I had it on my birthday.

"I know it's not the real thing but at least you can pretend, right?" he asked me.

"Eugene… It's perfect! I couldn't think of anything better for Halloween!" I exclaimed. I may not have the hair anymore but at least I can pretend I do! Well, just for Halloween. "I will go as the princess with 70 feet of golden hair!"

"Blondie… I want you to know that no matter your appearance, I will always love you."

"I know. Besides, I think I'm starting to like my short hair. It's easier to run with."

* * *

><p>There were still parts of Halloween that I didn't understand. Like trick or treat. What happens if you get a trick? What if the treat isn't a treat? Are there rules to this? The lanterns made sense. Cutting scary or funny faces into an orange lantern and hanging it outside your house to ward off evil spirits. The rest, I'd just have to learn from experience.<p>

Eugene told me that after dinner, around 6pm, everyone would start going trick or treating. After a couple of questions I learned that no one actually tricks anyone and the candy is all dependent on what the house you were at bought for Halloween. It was kind of like a gamble. Gothel never let me have candy before so needless to say, I wanted to go.

It was dinner time and we ate while dressed up. My father, being the dull one, told me he was going to be a King for Halloween. Honestly though, I think he just doesn't want to put a costume on. My mother was more into the Halloween spirit than most and was going as a witch. It was, however, slightly discomforting because witches kind of remind me of Gothel.

"So mother, father. I was wondering if I could go trick or treating tonight?" I asked them.

"You're too old for trick or treating honey." Said my dad without taking his eyes off his plate.

"Oh be nice, Richard." Said my mom. "Now, could you pass me the bread dear, muahahaha!" I had to admit, my mother has the witch voice down pat.

"Oh please daddy? I never went before."

He mumbled something about bad reputation and continued to eat his dinner. I really wanted to go and I know just how to do it; time to use a new skill.

I got up and walked over to my father and had to get on my knee's to pull it off correctly if he was going to be seated for it. It was time to unleash my deadliest weapon: a daughters version of 'The Smolder'! I puffed out my lower lip and made my eyes as big as they could get while curving the inside of my brow upwards.

"?" I asked again, making sure to get eye contact. He looked at me and instantly looked at mother.

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed to her. "What she's doing isn't fair! Tell her to stop Lauren!"

I could hear a quite audible 'gulp' sound from Eugene and instantly knew this would work on him as well, I just had to make sure I didn't use it too often or else it would lose its effectiveness.

"Dear, I think you still haven't answered your daughter's question." My mother responded. My father gave her a helpless look but she shrugged it off and continued eating. He slowly turned to look at my face and he faltered immediately.

"Ok. Ok. Fine you can go trick or treating…" he said with a sigh.

"YAY!" I exclaimed. I must have been a bit too loud about it because everyone at the table dropped their utensil.

"Argh, your majesty, could you pass me that there bread you be havin'?" asked Pirate Eugene.

"Why of course my dear boy. Hehehe." Responded Witch Mother.

Father let out a sigh and said, "Great, now there's two of them."

* * *

><p>"Ok blondie, where do you want to start first?" Eugene asked as we headed for the doors of the palace.<p>

"Well, we can start in the lower section and make our way up. That way, we can be assured candy at ever house!" I told him. If we started near the castle and worked our way down, the poorer sections might be out of candy when we get there. It wasn't like the 'poor district' was really that poor. There is, however, a lot of people in Corona.

I didn't expect to see what I saw when we went outside. Eugene looked quite perplexed as well. There seemed to be a very popular costume for the boys and a matching one for the girls. They all looked like Eugene and I! Every boy had a dark green vest on, brown pants, boots, and a white shirt. Every girl had a pink dress on and a short, brown haired wig on. After some thinking, it made sense. Every child knew of the lost princess story and, of course, the hero who saved her. It was only logical that every kid idolized them. I'm just glad they all went as Eugene Fitzherbert and not Flynn Rider.

And so began a wonderful evening of trick or treating. We, of course, gathered quite a crowd of followers as we went door to door. Most of them were kids. The parents seemed joyous to give candy to me, their princess, and my hero. Although, I did have to tell a few of them to treat me like a normal person and not give me their entire stockpile of candy. We both filled up our pillow cases with candy and it was getting late so we headed back to the palace.

We went to the dining room and rummaged through our pillow cases of candy. I didn't know what to pick first.

"Eugene, I've never had candy before. Which one is really good?" I asked him.

"Well, my favorite, is this." He said as he held out a red ball wrapped up in paper. "It's called 'Sugar Rush' and it's an amazing combination of cinnamon and sugar."

"Oh! Like the spice I use to make my cinnamon rolls!" I exclaimed. I have to admit, cinnamon was my favorite spice. I unwrapped it and threw it into my mouth.

"Oooo this is amazing!" I yelled. It was perfect! So sweet with a kick of spice thrown in. But then I got uneasy. This whole sitting down thing was boring. I looked at my hands and feet as they started to get 'twitchy'. Then, I realized why Gothel never let me have candy. Long story short, no one in the castle slept well for the next week.

**A/N:** For this story, I had seen Eugene as being someone who loved Halloween because he could be whoever he wanted to be and, when he was a child, that was Flynn rider. After all those years of pretending, it was hard for him to not enjoy Halloween. As for Rapunzel, she's a bit energetic without the help of sugar so I pictured her as being one of those people that, when given sugar, couldn't sleep, shut up, or sit still. Thus, the ending of the chapter fits well. And now imagine Rapunzel asking you to review the story while giving you her 'smolder' with her big green eyes.


	5. Chapter 5: December 10, year 0

Corona's Diary Chapter 5

**A/N:** 5 chapters thus in. I think it's going well. You guys? Thoughts? Opinions? Review and let me know! I realize the error of my ways starting the story in the summer and go in chronological order. Too many holidays and I'm sure you don't want _another_ new holiday story. So, instead, we get to see Rapunzel's reaction to snow activities. For a kingdom of the sun, they do tend to have snowy winters. They are in a spot that tends to have hyperactive seasons.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: December 10, year 0<strong>

Rapunzel woke up to a white sky. She had known what that meant around this time of year. She scurried out of bed and flew over to her window. 'Yes!' she thought to herself as she looked out the window. Her suspicion was confirmed when she saw a pristine white blanket covering the city. She felt the same way about snow like she did about the lanterns. She had always _seen_ the snow but never got to experience it. She had to wake up Eugene.

She sprinted through the halls of the palace, running into 3 maids, a butler, and a very confused chef. It's not that she was clumsy. In fact, Rapunzel swears everyone who works in the palace just stands around corners, waiting for her to run into her.

She had arrived at his door and started pounding on it.

"What the…?" was heard from inside the room, followed by the sounds of a scurrying man trying to get to the door as fast as possible. He swung open the doors and met a very giddy Rapunzel. "What?"

"It snowed." She said, giggling.

Eugene let out a very long sigh, "Rapunzel, you nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought something was wrong."

"Oh my gosh. I'm sorry!" she apologized, looking up at him.

"I can't be mad at you." He said, pulling her in to a hug. "Good morning, blondie."

"Good morning, Eugene."

"So what's all this about snow?" he asked.

"Oh right! It snowed last night!"

"Yes I remember that tends to happen around this time year. So what?"

"So what? It's snow! I've…uh… never got to play in it before."

"That's right…" he said as he remembered that she had never left the tower before her eighteenth birthday. He felt a pang of guilt in his stomach for forgetting that key fact. "Well, then let's go play in the snow!"

It couldn't say much after that as Rapunzel grabbed his hand and started running for the front of the palace.

"Uh… Rapunzel." He tried to tell her as she kept sprinting forward. "Um I don't think this is a good idea."

"Of course it is! It's snow! How can't it be a bad idea?" she assured him. They were mere seconds away from the door. He had to stop here.

"Rapunzel! It's not a very good idea!" but she wasn't paying attention to his words of warning by this time. She was a few steps away now. "Don't go outside without-" was all he was able to say before she opened the door and ran outside.

"Eep!" she squealed. She stood outside for several seconds without moving.

"-shoes on…" he finished.

* * *

><p>After a quick change of wardrobe, they were ready to go back outside. Much to her dismay, she had to wear boots. Not only were they shoes, but they covered up her entire feet! And much of her legs! Eugene and a grumpy Rapunzel made their way to the door again.<p>

"Why does snow have to be so cold." She mumbled. She was pouting but Eugene knew she wouldn't be for long. They went outside again and walked down the staircase to the circle in front of the palace. Eugene studied their surroundings and determined that this would be an excellent place to teach her how to play in the snow.

"Ok, blondie. First things first, a snowball fight! But first, I have to teach you how to make a snowball." He told her as he bent down to gather up some snow. He picked up the snow and started to pack it together. "Ok. So first, gather some snow like I did and start molding it into an orb like clay. But be careful because snow is a lot less 'stable' than-"

_**THWACK**_

Eugene stood completely still. 'Did that just happen?' he thought to himself. He shouldn't have been standing still.

_**THWACK**_

Another snowball hit the side of his face. He quickly got into snowball stance. He saw his foe. She was laughing uncontrollably.

"You… should see… your face right now!" she laughed. "Cause you look-" she was cut off by a snowball to the face, the force knocking her to the ground.

"Ridiculous? I don't think so!" Boasted Eugene as he hit his target. Rapunzel cleaned off her face and Eugene could see her starting to tear up. 'OH GOOD LORD I HURT HER!' he screamed in his head. "I'm sorry!" he yelped as he ran over to help her.

"That… that hurt!" she said as she started to cry. "There's only one thing that would have hurt more than that…" Eugene held out his arm and she grabbed it, starting to pull herself up. Halfway up she screamed, "Gotcha!" and twisted around on his back and pushed his face right into the snow.

"That's not fair!" gasped Eugene as he came up for air. "We were in a time out. It's against the rules!"

"There are no rules in _my_ snowball fights!" she screamed as she pelted him on the back of the head with another snowball.

"No rules, eh?" he said to himself. "Just the way I like it!" he quickly turned around, low to the ground, and lunged at Rapunzel, tackling her into the snow. He was in the advantage now! He had her pinned down and was just about to hit her with another snowball when, suddenly, something wet and rough was forced into his ear. He yelped and turned to see Pascal's tongue in his ear. In order to win this fight he had to just deal with it for now. He looked back at Rapunzel to throw the snowball but she was gone.

Eugene immediately surveyed his surroundings, looking for his foe yet again. She could be anywhere by now. Suddenly, he noticed a snowball coming right at him from quite a distance away. He dodged it and looked for its owner. Over in the distance was a small wall made of snow.

"Oh come on! Know we're using forts too!" he screamed. Another snowball, another narrow miss. She had excellent aim.

After a while, Rapunzel declared victory over Eugene as she stood in his destroyed fort with her foot on top of a downed Eugene.

"Ok blondie, you win." He told her as he got up. While wiping snow off himself, he noticed a snowflake fall in front of him. "Hey, look at that, it's starting to snow again." He didn't have to say anything because Rapunzel had noticed well before him. She stood there in awe of it as the puffy water fell from the sky. "I bet you can't catch one with your tongue!"

She accepted his challenge and stuck her tongue out. It proved a bit more difficult than she originally thought it would be. It was as if the snowflakes were dancing around her tongue, dodging it by any means necessary. Eventually though, she got one. It was a tiny cold spot right on her tongue that quickly melted into water. She enjoyed the refreshing snowflake and continued to try and catch more.

After a couple minutes of this, she noticed a group of children lying in the snow, flailing their arms and legs. Curious she asked Eugene what they were going and he explained the art of snow angels to her. After a quick rundown of how to make one, she promptly through herself backwards onto the snow and began making one. Once finished, Eugene helped her up as to not ruin the snow angel. They both looked at the snow angel and Rapunzel was quite proud of her work.

"It's perfect." Said Eugene. "A perfect snow angel for a perfect girl."

"Oh Eugene, you're so sweet." She responded, reaching up to kiss him.

"It's only true. But snow angels and perfect girlfriends aside, it's time for the best part!"

"what?" she asked, eyes lighting up in anticipation of 'the best part.'

* * *

><p>Eugene wouldn't tell her what the best part was. He just told her to wait in the living room in front of the fireplace. She couldn't quite understand why, but she was still freezing from the day's activities despite being in front of a fireplace. Footsteps could be heard and she sat up on the couch. In walked Eugene with a plate that was holding two rather large cups.<p>

"Ok, beautiful. In order to enjoy this properly and to fully warm up after a day like today, there is a specific way to have this drink." He told her as he sat the drinks down on the small table next to the couch. "First, I lay down on the couch and you snuggle in on top of me, ok?"

"Ok!" she said. Cuddling was one of her favorite activities. Eugene laid down on the couch with his back propped up on the arm rest and Rapunzel snuggled on top.

"Next, get that blanket from the end of the couch and cover us with it." He explained. She did as she was told and when she had the blanket on top of them both, he handed her one of the cups. The liquid looked familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. "Now be careful, it's really hot."

Slowly she brought the cup up to her mouth and took a sip. She got a big grin on her face. It was hot chocolate!

"Is it good?" he asked her.

"It's the best one I've ever had!"

* * *

><p>They laid on the couch watching the fire flicker for quite a while. It was another perfect day for them. Eugene didn't know what she did with her hair but it always smelled nice. It reminded him of a warm, safe place. He was sniffing her hair again when she broke the silence.<p>

"So another holiday is coming up." She said.

"Oh yeah. Christmas. Did you ever celebrate Christmas?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Gothel would give me a present each year. But that's the extent of our celebrations."

"Blondie, you haven't celebrated Christmas at all. It usually consists of more than _one_ gift but more importantly, you get to celebrate it with family. There is usually a nice big dinner and everyone just has a good time."

"That sounds wonderful!" she exclaimed. She positioned herself so that she could see his face and noticed he was looking at the fireplace. But he wasn't looking at the fireplace. No, his eyes were looking at something only he could see, past memories. She could see how he felt. "You've never been able to celebrate the family part of Christmas, have you?"

"No…" he sighed. She always knew what was wrong and that was one of the many traits he loved about her. "The orphanage gave us all presents and we had a feast for dinner but they weren't my _family_, you know?"

"Well, I promise you the best Christmas ever!"

"I wouldn't expect any less, beautiful."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** well I bet you can't guess what's next? Christmas! Yay! After that we will be advancing to the 1 year mark. For keeping things straight, year 1 won't start until July 16, that way we won't confuse anyone.


	6. Chapter 6: December 25, year 0

Corona's Diary Chapter 6

**A/N:** It seems like only two people like my story because no one reviews *insert sad face*. Anyways, its Christmas time and Rapunzel has promised Eugene the best Christmas ever.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: December 25, year 0<p>

Eugene was a heavy sleeper. Noise and slight movements didn't wake him up. It was part of growing up without a house. He had to be able to sleep with all the noise of the city and no bed. He wasn't aware of how heavy a sleeper he was until Christmas morning.

He groggily woke up and started rubbing his eyes. He got out of bed, still half asleep, and went over to his dresser to get his daytime wears out.

"I must be really tired because it feels like my dresser has been moved farther away from the bed." He mumbled to himself. Once at his dresser, he got his clothing and started dressing himself. He had put one pant leg on when he noticed the floor was much brighter than it had been the night before. "What the heck?" he thought to himself. He looked up and found that he was no longer in his room. The room was twice as big as his bedroom! He didn't get to think about it much as the door slammed open and a very excited Rapunzel jumped in.

"Surprise!" she exclaimed. "Do you like…your…present? Oh gosh I thought you were done getting dressed." A bright pink hue found its way onto Rapunzel's face as she saw a half dressed Eugene standing before her. "At least you're not…'revealing'" she said as she noted he did have underwear on. But he didn't have a shirt on at all. And simply put, Rapunzel felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw a shirtless Eugene.

"Anyways… What's going on? Why am I not in my room?" he questioned as he finished getting dressed.

"You are in your room. Your new room! I talked to daddy and got you a bigger room for Christmas! You're a heavy sleeper by the way. The servants helped bring you up here. The hard part was transferring you from your old bed to your new bed. You almost woke up and it would have ruined everything. So are you surprised?" she explained.

"Uh… yeah!" he said. "It's not every Christmas you get a room big enough for 4 people!"

"It wasn't easy! I had to tell my dad about how you weren't able to protect me like your punishment is supposed to be if you're sleeping all the way in the servant's quarters. So, after much deliberation, we got you a room next to mine!"

Eugene let out a very long "what" in response to what she had just said. How would the King agree to move the princess' boyfriend into the room _right_ next to it? It didn't take much thought until he came across the conclusion that she had to have used 'The look' that she perfected to get whatever she wanted. Luckily, after five months, she hadn't used it on him yet.

"Is that even legal?" he asked her.

"Well, we did have to move a guard from the west wing to stand in the hallway. There will be a guard positioned right outside, 24/7."

Truth be told, Eugene would really like to cuddle with her at night as they drifted off into sleep but people would get the wrong idea. "I wouldn't dare touch the princess in that way until we were married!" he thought to himself. Then, suddenly, the thought of marriage hit him like a sack full of bricks. What was he doing thinking of something like that when they've only known each other for five months! Though he would admit, he did like the idea, it was just far too soon.

"Rapunzel, thank you for such a marvelous gift. Now, no matter what time of day, I can protect you!" he said. He was posing awfully similar to how Maximus would if he was human.

"Stop playing around, we have to go to the living room! Santa could have brought presents!"

* * *

><p>And Santa did bring presents. A very bountiful amount of presents at that. The King and Queen were waiting in the massive room with the Christmas tree when the two arrived. There was plenty of gift giving going around that morning. The King and Queen got each one of their workers 3-4 presents each. Eugene even received a new vest from them! Rapunzel and Eugene promised each other one, and only one, present. That way, one of them didn't get more than the other.<p>

"Hey Blondie, I got you a present." He handed her a box wrapped in gold paper and she eagerly unwrapped it. Inside the box was a book. It wasn't just any book though. On the front of the book, it read "You Are My Flower" and each page was blank. Well, all but the first couple of pages. On each individual page was a sealed flower. A sealed flower was a form of preserving a flower by sealing it in between two transparent pieces of paper. Each page was meant for a different flower and no two flowers were alike.

"Eugene…" she said. She was obviously impressed with his gift and he gave himself a pat on the back. "I love it. Thank you." She gave him a kiss before turning around and grabbing his gift. "And here, is my present for you."

The present was wrapped in the same manner as the other. Eugene unwrapped the box and found a rather stunning pocket knife. On the handle of the pocket knife was an engraving. It read "You are, and always will be, my hero." Eugene held the pocket knife in his hand. It was a perfect fit.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "I love it! And I love you, Blondie!"

The two shared another kiss before it was time to go sing Christmas carols. Christmas was one holiday the King didn't mind getting in the spirit of. Every Christmas, save the one after Rapunzel's kidnapping, the King and Queen would go door to door through the city and sing Christmas carols. It was, needless to say, a long day for the royal family.

* * *

><p>After hours of Christmas caroling, the royal family and Eugene were ready for a feast. Another thing the King and Queen did for the workers was set up tens of tables in the main hall and had a huge feast that everyone partook in. At the front of the hall sat a table for four and at the table sat the King and Queen along with their daughter and Eugene.<p>

"The feast is extraordinary this year," mentioned the Queen. "Least this year we decided not to have fish. Have you heard that story Eugene?"

"I'm afraid not, your Majesty."

"It's one of my favorites. Last year the cooks decided to make fish and everyone, and I mean everyone, got food poisoning. Needless to say, it put our plumbing system to the test." She joked.

"Oh yeah. I remember that now," he said. "I only heard the jokes from the citizens claiming that 'the royal throne was moved into the bathroom'"

A quite audible giggle was heard from Rapunzel. She had found the joke to be quite humorous. Her father, however, did not. He was giving Eugene a stern look but promptly stopped at his wife's request.

Eugene took a break from eating and just watched Rapunzel tell her parents the story of when she met Pascal. She was beautiful. Eugene had told himself that every day and it was true. He loved every little thing she did. She could, however, be a little 'clingy' but it was less than a nuance compared to everything else. His gaze shifted over to her father. The King was strict but caring. He abided to every rule and would defend his kingdom from the front lines if he needed to. He was warming up to Eugene and Eugene knew he would come to him. And then there was the Queen. She was a bit more 'loose' compared to her husband but could love anything in the world if she was given the chance. She was intelligent and wise as well. All in all, the royal family was a kind and caring family. Could Eugene see himself as part of this family? Could Eugene see himself next to Rapunzel's side as she led the kingdom? Could he see himself having a family with Rapunzel?

He could recall thinking about marriage earlier in the day when Rapunzel showed him his new room. He didn't think much about it then. But now, images of a life with Rapunzel flashed in his mind. A whole bunch of experiences ranging from wedding to children danced in his thoughts. He saw her comforting her when she was feeling down. He saw them growing old together. So could he see himself with Rapunzel for the rest of their lives? A very firm 'yes' resonated in his mind. Yes he could see himself with her and having a family with her. It was amazing really, he had met her 5 months ago and now she consumed his every thought. He had always thought that he would marry someone after being with them for quite a few years. It was still too early to ask for her hand in marriage but he knew that he would. Perhaps this is what true love is like? He didn't really know.

* * *

><p>After gorging on pounds of food, the royal family and Eugene headed for bed. The King and Queen departed for their room and left the princess and Eugene to walk to their rooms, hand in hand. The walk was blissful, just the two of them. Before today, the two would have parted ways a while back as Eugene made for the servants quarters.<p>

"So," she started to ask, "did you have a great Christmas?"

"Hmm… I'd have to think about that," he said as he brought his free hand up and rubbed his chin in fake thought. "Well… it was close, but I think the year I got a slingshot for Christmas is still my favorite."

She could tell he was being sarcastic. "Eugene…"

"Blondie, every Christmas I spend with you will always be the best Christmas ever." He was looking at her face as it changed to a more reddish hue. They had found themselves right outside their rooms now and so they turned to face each other to say goodnight.

"Rapunzel, it's true. I love you too much to not have a good time for whatever reason. I love you."

"And I love you too," she responded. She reached up and received her goodnight kiss.

"Oh and Blondie, if you need anything, I'm right next door," he said giving her a smile as they made their way into their separate rooms.

Eugene got ready for bed and was lying down fiddling with his pocket knife. This Christmas was definitely a Christmas to remember. He had received so much: a new room, a pocket knife, and a deeper level of love for Rapunzel. He was about to fall asleep when it dawned on him that the kind of room he was in wasn't the kind you give to someone you didn't expect to be in your house for a very long time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** A happy Christmas for both of them! I hope they like their gifts. What do you readers think? I have to throw a shout out to Jen-NCIS-Lover for the reviews! It seems like she's the only one who's catching on to my subtle hints about my love for reviews. Anyways! Until next time, have safe travels and merry times!


	7. Chapter 7: March 27, year 0

**A/N:** Not much to say but I hope you enjoy the following chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: March 27, year 0<strong>

Rapunzel had rummaged through Corona's records a month back searching for something specific. When she came across a Eugene Fitzherbert file from the orphanage, she was ecstatic at what she found.

In secret, she made the necessary arrangements for the very important day of March 27. She had the cooks prepare breakfast extra early, the main hall set up for the festivities, and even secured the last remaining copy of a very rare book.

What could be so important about today? It was Eugene's 22 birthday.

As she rolled the cart of food up to his room, she pondered as to why it was always her planning surprises for him and not the other way around. He obviously loved her, but she couldn't help but feel she was due for a surprise soon. 'Perhaps he's planning something for my birthday! It's coming up in 4 months!' she thought to herself. After shrugging off the thought, she found herself outside him room. It was nine o'clock and about time the birthday boy woke up.

"Surprise!" she shouted as she slammed open his door.

"No more candles!" yelled Eugene as he was awoken quite abruptly from a dream that obviously included an abundance of candles. "Uh. What? Sorry about that. Weird dream," he explained as he rubbed his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Breakfast in bed for your big day!" she answered.

"Oh… right. It's that time of year again, isn't it?"

"Is something wrong Eugene?"

"No. Everything is fine…" he sighed.

She came over to his bed and sat down next to him. He obviously wasn't as 'fine' as he said he was.

"What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything," she told him as she took his hand and rubbed it.

"Well…" he began. "I've never really had a birthday before. The biggest being one cupcake on my 'sweet sixteen.'"

"Aw..." she said. She let go of his hand and gave him a huge hug as he rose to a sitting position. "Well, I have a wonderful day planned for you. First, Breakfast in bed!"

She got off the bed and brought the cart full of food in. Eugene's jaw hit the floor when he saw how much food she brought him. Everything was here! Pancakes, eggs, toast, muffins, and a whole assortment of fruit. And for a drink, a pitcher of Corona's signature beverage: orange juice! Eugene loved orange juice.

"Hey Blondie," he started, "this is a bit much for me to eat. Could I have some assistance?"

"Yes you can," she answered. She got a plate ready with a bit of everything on it and made herself a plate. After handing Eugene his plate, she pulled up the blankets and slid into bed next to him. She told him what she had planned for his birthday except, of course, his surprise party in the main hall. First they would go shopping until lunch and when they would go back for lunch. Of course, lunch was secretly replaced with the party. And after which, they would have a very laid back afternoon followed by a romantic picnic to watch the sunset in the very same place she had seen her first sunset.

Eugene wasn't being entirely truthful about how he felt about today. But Eugene was very good at hiding things.

* * *

><p>After shopping for a while, Eugene wanted to go back to the palace a little early. This wouldn't fit in well with Rapunzel's plans at all. She had to find some excuse to keep him out of the palace for just an hour longer. But what?<p>

"Uh…" she started, "We didn't go to the leather shop yet. We should go there. They might have a very nice vest you might like."

"Eh, I went there last week. Didn't have anything good this month."

"Ok… Oh! We didn't check out that candle store down in the lower section."

"After my dream last night, I don't feel like purchasing more candles."

She was running out of time fast. They were in the palace square now and were making their way over to the stairs leading up to the palace.

"What about the mirror store?" she asked. 'stupid question. Why would he need a mirror? He has that huge one in his room already,' she thought to herself.

"No need for any mirrors."

"Uh…" they were halfway up the stairs already, mere seconds away from the palace doors. Frantic, she thought of the one thing she could do that would stop Eugene dead in his track: a challenge. "I… uh… I bet you can't give me one long kiss that lasts for an hour!"

Eugene stopped. 'Oh a kissing challenge eh?' he asked himself. "You're on, Blondie."

One hour later, the couple unlocked lips and a very bliss Rapunzel struggled to catch her breath after that. They attracted a bit of attention and received a cheer for their amazing feat. All the onlookers had parted quickly, back to their everyday grind when Eugene and Rapunzel entered the palace.

A deafening roar of "surprise!" was heard and nearly caused Eugene to pass out. Inside, every worker was present and smiling at the couple. In the front of the room could be seen the King and Queen waving at them.

"Rapunzel did you-?" he asked, turning to her.

"Uh-huh!" she giddily told him as she jumped up and down.

The party was spectacular! They had some musical entertainment performed by Hook-Hand's band, a plethora of food, and good spirits all around.

In all honesty though, Eugene did not pay attention to most of the party as his mind was elsewhere. But Eugene was very good at hiding things.

* * *

><p>Maximus had taken the two to their picnic spot an hour before sundown. They had a wonderful chicken prepared by the Queen herself. The Queen was one hell of a chef and Eugene's pleased stomach could attest to that. For a while, the two talked about anything and everything. They talked about some of the adjacent kingdoms. They had talked about the different kinds of flowers that she had collected for her flower book. She had told him of one very special flower that she really wanted to get but it was very rare. She was saving the center of the book for that flower. He had even promised to help her find that flower one day.<p>

"It's almost sundown now," she noted. "I wanted the last part of your birthday to be my present." She had taken out a worn down book and handed it to him.

Eugene was very good at hiding things. He knew this wouldn't be the last part of his birthday.

He received the book from her and found it to be 'The Tales of Flynnigan Rider: Complete Edition.' It was the last of its kind and Eugene had thought he would never see another copy of the book. It was a wonderfully surprising present.

"Wow, Rapunzel. Do you know how rare this is?" he asked her.

"I do. And I wanted a one of kind present for my one of a kind boyfriend," she explained. It was extraordinarily had to get, and pricey at that! But she only wanted the best for him. He leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"Rapunzel, I have to be honest with you," he told her. "When you asked if I was alright this morning I lied to you. What I told you was true but it was more than that. Truth be told, I was nervous about today. I was scared and happy all at the same time. No, I was beyond happy yet terrified. But now, alone with you, I only feel happy; ecstatic really."

"Why?" was all she could manage to say. She too was fearful now. What was he hiding from her?

"Rapunzel you have shaken the foundations of my entire world. In no more than 3 days you completely tore me down and rebuilt me from the ground up. You have shown me what it meant to be somebody. You had shown me how to love. You had shown me what it meant to be cared for."

"O-Ok," she said, knowing full well he wasn't close to being finished.

"For the past nine months I had been shown more love than any one man could ask for. I had been generously offered a home. I had been with you several hours every day for the past nine months. I had been placed on an emotional rollercoaster that had only one setting; love and happiness. I love you Rapunzel."

"And I love you too, Eugene."

"I love everything about you. I love your lush, green eyes. I love your short, albeit extremely attractive, brown hair. I love the way you place your hand on your hip when you know something's up. I love the way you get excited about every little thing. I love how your presence alone could lighten anyone's mood. I love you more than anything in the world, Rapunzel."

"Wow…" she gasped. Eugene had just pronounced his undying love for her. Needless to say, if there is anything better than cloud nine, she'd be on it. But he still wasn't done.

"Rapunzel," he continued, "I don't want this to ever end." He paused to look at how beautiful she was. He had to choose his words carefully after this. "I know this is a bit early but I can't possibly imagine a future without you." He stood up and gave his hand to Rapunzel, pulling her up as well. Neither of the two had noticed the sun was setting as they were too engrossed in each other as they just stared into each other's eyes.

"I already have permission from you father so…" he said as he bent down on one knee as he pulled out a little box from his vest. "Will you, Rapunzel, the Lost Princess of Corona, marry me?" He opened the box and revealed a ring with a sizeable blue sapphire in the middle and an intricate pattern of yellow diamonds around the sapphire. Its beauty was matched only by the Princess of Corona.

Rapunzel couldn't speak. She had no inkling of an idea that this was coming. Eugene was very good at hiding things. She had always dreamed of marrying Eugene but she never thought he would propose this early. And he had already gotten permission from her father! There was nothing holding them from marriage. To come up with an answer, Rapunzel asked herself the same thing Eugene asked himself on Christmas. Could she see a future with Eugene? The answer didn't take that long to find.

"Yes!" she proclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "Yes Eugene Fitzherbert. I will marry you!" She flung herself at Eugene and embraced him with the warmth of a thousand suns. She didn't care if she was only 18 still. Apparently, neither did her father as well. She had always heard stories of people marrying in their 20's but she couldn't wait that long to start a family with Eugene. There would be people who wouldn't approve of such an early marriage but she didn't care. This was love in its purest form. They were two young adults who loved each other unconditionally. Besides, they would need time to plan the wedding so she would probably be 19 by the time of the wedding. And the King's approval of the wedding was all they really needed. If the King had felt that his daughter was ready to marry, than no one could really disapprove.

"Well, Blondie, it looks like we have wedding to arrange!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I thought that an earlier marriage would be more beneficial for everyone that a later one would. If Eugene was ready to sacrifice his life for her 3 days in, why wouldn't they be ready for marriage at nine months? And in the 'older' days, marrying at a young age was common for women.


	8. Chapter 8: June 8, year 0

**A/N:** I hope you all didn't mind the rush on Eugene's proposal. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: June 8, year 0<strong>

The wedding was about two months away now. It was scheduled for August 11. The couple could not have been happier. Especially since today was the day of their 'flower hunt,' as Rapunzel liked to put it. She had filled up nearly every page of the book she had received for Christmas but was saving the last few pages, including the centerfold, for the rarest of flowers. She had read of a flower that was as blue as the sky and as pristine as a diamond. Only one person had found it centuries ago and it was the inspiration for the symbol of Corona. The stories said it had bloomed only once every hundred years and according to the time tables, this would be the year it bloomed.

They probably should have let the King and Queen know they would be gone all day but they didn't have any work to do so they wouldn't be missed. And besides, they would be home by sundown. The couple left early in the morning just as the sun was rising. They had nothing but the book, a basket of food, a blanket, and a map. They would look and look and look until sundown. Hand in hand, they started their search. Every flower they came across, Rapunzel would tell Eugene its name and purpose, if it had one. They came across all kinds of flowers during the search. They saw dandelions, Aspens, and sunflowers. They searched all morning but to no avail. Eventually, they came across a cut away in the forest. The meadow was a perfect spot to have lunch. Eugene unfolded the blanket, laid it down, and set out lunch.

The two of them had some nice sandwiches and finished lunch quite quickly. Instead of getting up and continuing the search, they decided to lay there for a while and watch the clouds.

"That one looks like a dragon," said Rapunzel.

"That one looks like a cloud," responded Eugene.

"You have no imagination at all, do you?" she asked.

"No, I do. It's just this isn't my best 'field of research' if you get what I'm saying."

"Ah. I see," she said. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course you can, Blondie."

"I'm so happy to be getting married to you. At first, I thought it was too early for a marriage. But as I thought about it, it made more and more sense. I couldn't imagine _not_ marrying you. You always found your ways into my thoughts. Eventually, I decided I want nothing more in the world than to marry you."

Eugene let out a long sigh. "Rapunzel you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that," he told her. He had been worrying about whether or not he proposed to early. He had been worrying about if she was ready for a wedding at the age of 19. Knowing that she was lifted a world of worry off his shoulder.

"Well, we should probably start looking again," she said. She got up and Eugene started cleaning up the lunch. She stood and looked off in the distance as he gathered their belongings. He would sneak glances at her as he was getting ready. Her signature dress was blowing in the wind; her hair gently swaying along with the dress. She was perfect. What did he do to deserve such a wonderful girl?

"Ok, Beautiful," he started. He wasn't able to finish speaking because he noticed her gently jerk with sobs. He rushed over to her, fearing she was hurt. "Are you ok?" he frantically asked.

"I-I'm fine," she said, wiping away her tears. "18 years I never really had a family. And now… I'm going to start a family. It's just so… wonderful…"

A tear slipped off her face and hit the ground. She was looking down as Eugene cradled her in his arms when she noticed what was happening. A flower had grown and bloomed right before her very eyes. it was the Corona Flower. She knew about the flower being born from a single drop of sunlight that eventually led to her golden, magic hair. What she didn't know was that the Corona Flower could only bloom from tears of pure love. That is, until now.

"Eugene! Look!" she exclaimed. She pointed to the ground as the flower came to full blossom. It was truly a sight to behold. Carefully, Eugene sealed the flower in between the transparent pieces of paper and cut the stem. Ever so delicately, he attached the sealed flower to the centerfold. Their search was complete and thus, they had to head home.

It took them about an hour walk or so to make it back. Upon reaching the city, hand in hand and on cloud nine, a guard shouted.

"There's the princess! She's ok!"

"Father must have gone a little overboard. I told you we should have told him," Rapunzel told Eugene.

"Thank the sun, Princess," said one of the guards as he came running over to them. "We had feared they got you too."

Rapunzel and Eugene exchanged fearful glances. Something was very wrong.

* * *

><p>"Daddy!" screamed Rapunzel as she came running into his study.<p>

"Rapunzel!" he cried. He never moved faster in his life. Before she knew it, she was in her father's embrace. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"Father… what happened?"

"We've been robbed. More specifically, _your_ room. Just after sunrise, a crash was heard from your room. When the guards entered, we had found that you were not there and I panicked. They only took a few things. Luckily, you don't wear much jewelry. I'm just glad you're ok."

"What…" she was speechless. She couldn't believe what happened. She was robbed. She had heard of it happening to other people but she never thought that she would be robbed. She even fell in love with an ex-thief! Her entire world came crashing down on her.

After a couple of minutes in her father's arm, she decided to go check out her room. She stood outside her room for a while just staring at the door. It didn't feel like her door anymore. She slowly opened the door to find a mess of things. Obviously, the maids hadn't been able to get around to it yet. She could clearly make out the point of entry. Her room was placed a few feet above the roof of an adjacent house. The thief must have climbed onto the roof and thrown something through the window to get in. Surprisingly, the window didn't cut the thief. He must have been wearing some tough leather to protect himself. Whatever said object was caught the curtains on the way in and ripped them off the wall. They were strewn about the floor. She was devastated.

A knock was heard at the door and she turned around to see Eugene standing in the doorway. She gave him a look that felt like a spike to the heart. She squinted her eyes from tears and had a frown that could kill a person. She ran over to Eugene who accepted her with open arms.

"I'm so… so scared, Eugene," she told him.

"Shh…" he tried to calm her. "It's ok. I'm here." He was gently petting her hair.

"What do I do?"

"I don't know. It's late. You should try to get some sleep. I'll be right next door. Ok?"

"Ok."

* * *

><p>Eugene couldn't sleep and it was well past midnight. He was worrying about her. What if he never changed and it was him that caused this? What if it was him that made her feel so scared? It made him sick to his stomach. He was getting worked up over the fact that she could have been hurt or worse. Who would dare bring harm to his Rapunzel? He was so mad! He wanted to find who did this and break their bones! Make them pay for what they did!<p>

Suddenly, a knock was heard at his door and he almost jumped out of his skin. He turned around and standing in the doorway was a cross armed Rapunzel.

"Can I sleep in here tonight?" she quietly asked him. "I can't sleep in there. I just can't." tears were forming in her eyes and she was vigorously shaking her head. Eugene could tell she was distraught. 'The hell with her father !' He thought. They were going to get married in a couple months, why couldn't they share one night together? He wouldn't dare do anything until they married. He would stand up to her father in the morning.

"Come on over," he said, as he patted a spot on the bed next to him. She sprinted over to the bed and literally did a flying leap and dove into the bed. She grabbed him and brought herself close to his chest as she snuggled her face into his neck.

"It doesn't feel like my room anymore…" she confided in him. "It feels strange and foreign… I don't feel safe in my own room…"

"Well your privacy was invaded even though you weren't there."

"I can't feel safe anywhere right now… this right here is the safest I've felt since this afternoon…"

"I will protect you, Rapunzel. I promise. As long as my heart beats, I promise to never let anything happen to you." He kissed the top of her head. She had turned on her side, facing away from Eugene. He pressed himself up against her back and put his arm over her waist and wrapped around her stomach. She finally fell asleep with the thought in her mind that after they're married, she gets a lifetime of this comfort he provides just by cuddling with her.

* * *

><p>"Eugene Fitzherbert you've done it now!" bellowed the King as he paced around his study. The King himself found Eugene and his daughter in bed together. He was going to check on his daughter early in the morning and when he couldn't find her in her room, he immediately checked Eugene's room. "What do you have to say for yourself?"<p>

"I…" he started, "I don't know. She was scared so I was comforting her and eventually we fell asleep. Nothing else happened I swear."

"You expect me to believe that crap!" he screamed. "You had a mile wide smile when I found you two! You were at a loss for words when I demanding an explanation!"

"Sir, I love your daughter. Very much and she came to me crying in the middle of the night," he told his soon to be father-in-law. "And do you expect me to not comfort her? You expect me not to hold the woman I love when she's hurt? You don't think I would one to make her feel safe? The hell with etiquette! I don't care what anyone else thinks as long as we're happy!"

"Eugene Fitzherbert," commanded the king, "you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to do this. I've kept a close eye on you waiting for this moment. And now I can finally tell you, with firm affirmation, that I couldn't find a better man to call my son-in-law."

"Well I- What?" gasped Eugene. "I thought you were mad at me!"

"Had you going, didn't I?" he questioned. "How could I be mad at someone who would throw out hundreds of years of tradition to protect my daughter? How could I be mad at someone who would face the wrath of the King so he could comfort a loved one?"

"Oh well. When you put it that way…" he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Just be careful Eugene. Be glad it was me who found you two and not someone who would spread rumors," the reminded Eugene.

"Yes sir."

Eugene was walking through the doorway when the King stopped him before he left.

"Oh and Eugene," he started. "Good work on keeping up with your punishment of protecting my daughter." The king was giving him a wide smile and gave him a wink.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm sorry! As you can see, this world isn't full of all fun and games.


	9. Chapter 9: August 11, Year 1

**A/N:** Hiiii? How ya doin? Names Flynn rider. I've got a Wedding chapter for you! It's a tad short though.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: August 11, year 1<strong>

Today was the big day. Eugene was pacing back and forth. He was incredibly nervous. He was going to be married in the next few hours. He was starting to freak out. He loved Rapunzel and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. But he couldn't sit still. 'Maybe she'll say no! Maybe she won't even show up!' he thought to himself. This wait was killing him.

"Eugene!" bellowed the king. He had caught Eugene half way through the window in his room.

"Gah! Sorry! I uh-" he started to explain.

"Getting cold feet, eh?" questioned the King.

"Uh… yeah"

"No need to be nervous, my boy!" the King assured him. "We all get nervous on our wedding day. Do you know what I did when I married Lauren?"

"Um… what?"

"I had barricaded myself inside my house for three days. There wasn't a single entrance into that house but somehow, _somehow_, Lauren made her way into my house and dragged me out. If there is one truth about marriage, you won't own your life, she will."

"Well that makes me feel a lot better, thank you for that, sir," Eugene sarcastically remarked.

"Ha!" the King chuckled. "Eugene, you make me laugh. I like that about you. You don't have anything to worry about. Today is all about showing your love for Rapunzel. You do love my daughter right?"

"I can't possibly love anything more than I love your daughter, sir," Eugene firmly replied.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," the King affirmed Eugene as he put his hands on his shoulders. The king was very tall and intimidating, but Eugene found him very comforting right now. "And besides, you and I get to go fishing now that you're my son-in-law!"

Eugene eyed up the window again at the thought of fishing with the King but quickly looked away, she was worth it.

* * *

><p>Rapunzel couldn't figure out where all these people came from. Hundreds of workers were setting up the Main Hall for the ceremony. And not to mention the plethora of people whose sole purpose was to finish her wedding gown. She just stood on the elevated platform as people sewed, knit, and asked thousands of questions about how she wanted her dress. She was in a daydream the whole time.<p>

"I finally got to see my daughter for the first time a year ago," started someone from behind her. "And now I get to see the beautiful woman in the world."

Rapunzel turned around to see her mom standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Aw…" said Rapunzel. "Do you really mean it?"

"I couldn't be any more truthful about it dear."

"Hey mom, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"What's this feeling in my stomach? It feels like someone released thousands of butterflies in it and they're fluttering about."

"Ha!" laughed the queen, earning a confused look from her daughter. "That's just a higher form of excitement dear. Surely you've felt it before, right?"

"Well, once. When I got to see the lanterns be released for the first time in my life. I thought it was… indigestion or something."

"No, not even close. It means you are so excited that you can barely contain it and its about ready to burst out! And it will, _tonight_."

"Oh… about that… I've never had 'the talk,' mom."

"Really?" the Queen said, her face lighting up.

"Why does that excite you, mother?"

"It's just, I missed out on your childhood and I never thought I would never get to teach you anything."

Despite all the workers around, the Queen and her daughter had a slightly uncomfortable conversation.

* * *

><p>Everyone was there. Everyone waiting for her to come through the door. Everything was so… surreal. Could this be happening? Could they really be getting married? The people in the audience were quietly whispering to each other about things unrelated. Eugene couldn't stand still and neither could the best man, Maximus, or the maid of honor, Pascal. Eugene could probably guess that the whispering in the audience was probably attributed to the fact that Pascal and Maximus were part of the wedding. Unfortunately, neither Eugene nor Rapunzel were very good at making 'human' friends.<p>

A noise was heard from the doorway of the Main Hall and time seemed to slow down. Eugene saw the door open and a very amazing sight was to behold. Out came a very fluent pink gown. It gently hugged at her hourglass figure. Her wonderful hips were accented by a giant, purple, floral print on the lower right side of her gown. The gown looked absolutely perfect. It had to have taken people a _long_ time to make it. What Eugene really like about the gown was its simplicity. She looked like Rapunzel and not a massive blob of a dress. She had absolutely refused to wear veil but, instead, she wore simple purple velvet flower shaped like the symbol of Corona. The pink and purple contrasted extraordinarily well with her short brown hair and bright green eyes.

She was being brought down the carpet by her farther and was shortly followed by her mother. There were louder whispers heard and Eugene could make out one of the whispers.

"It's been a long time since I've seen the King and Queen so happy," whispered an elderly lady.

The Princess and her father walked up onto the marble platform. The platform, when not being used as an 'altar,' was used for the royal table during feasts so that they could see everyone. She couldn't have looked more amazing. She wasn't wearing any makeup and Eugene wouldn't have it any other way. The King made his way in front of the happy couple.

"I stand before you two today as not only your King, but as your father as well," said the King to his daughter. He had an overwhelmingly loud stage voice. "And I couldn't be more proud."

The ceremony was a long one, but worth it. They went through the motions they had been practicing all week. And finally, it was the most important part of the ceremony. They were to accept their spouse and to exchange vows. It was a bit different from the standard wedding but both Rapunzel and Eugene insisted on the tradition ceremony blended with their own vows.

"Do you, Eugene Fitzherbert, take Princess Rapunzel to be your lawfully wedded wife?" asked the King.

"I do."

"Do you, Princess Rapunzel, take Eugene Fitzherbert to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Starting with Eugene Fitzherbert, you are to exchange vows."

"Rapunzel, when I met you in the tower a year ago, I couldn't believe my eyes. You were secluded from the world your entire life yet you were able to teach me so much more about life than anyone ever could. My first impression of you was less than favorable; but after a mere two days, you completely changed that impression. In two days, I had fallen in love with you. After those two days, I didn't think I could love you anymore. But low and behold, as the time went on I began to love you more and more. And now, I can't possibly imagine a future without you. I want you by my side until the very end. Rapunzel, I love you with all my heart."

"Eugene…" she started, getting choked up. "Sorry, sorry. Eugene Fitzherbert. You were the first person I met, aside from my fake mother. When I had first met you, I thought you wanted to steal from me. But within two days, you had grown on me. You lead me into the world and showed me so many things. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. Through the past year, ups and downs, you had been by my side and I want you at my side for the rest of my life. I may be jumpy and excitable but you deal with me every day. If I had any chance to go back and relive my life again, I wouldn't change a thing. If I was never kidnapped, I would probably have never met the handsome, striking, lovable man known as Eugene Fitzherbert. I love you to the ends of the earth."

"Eugene Fitzherbert, Princess Rapunzel, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

And with that statement Eugene threw his arms around Rapunzel's waist and kissed her. It was official. They were two halves of a whole now.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:** Hope you've enjoyed the wedding despite it being short. I think it was short and cute, just like Rapunzel!


	10. Chapter 10: June 5, year 5

**A/N: **And suddenly, 5 years passed. Just for reference and the record: Rapunzel is now 24 and Eugene is 27. Don't worry, still going to have PLENTY of chapters. This 5 year gap is to speed things along, ya know?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: June 5, Year 6<strong>

It's been almost 5 years since the wedding and the happy couple was in a euphoric utopia. Rapunzel was learning how to be a Queen from her mother and Eugene was learning how to be a King from his father-in-law. The kingdom knew that one day they would be King and Queen so it was only expected of them to learn how to do it. Although, Rapunzel seemed to be learning at a faster pace than Eugene.

The couple couldn't be found in two separate places. They did everything together! Rumor has it the two have a curse on them and they can't be more than 100 yards apart from each other at all times. It wasn't like she was making him do everything with her either. Eugene seemed generally happy to do whatever it is she wanted to do. And there were times when they did things he wanted to do. You name it, they've done it together: hunting, dancing, working out, cooking, training, and even knitting.

Today started out like any other day, with breakfast. The royal family was eating pancakes and waffles when it took an unexpected turn towards extreme awkwardness.

"So when can we expect children?" asked the King nonchalantly without taking his eyes of his food. Two clanks were heard as Eugene and Rapunzel both dropped their utensils. The couple both looked up with wide eyes and nervousness.

"Well… uh…" started Rapunzel.

"Excuse me your majesty, but don't you think that's a little… personal?" responded Eugene.

"For the last time Eugene, call me Richard. I'm your father-in-law now; no need for the formal crap."

"Right. Sorry Richard," said Eugene. It sounded weird rolling of his tongue.

"And not at all my boy. I would just like to know when we are going to have grandchildren. Why shouldn't a King worry about the royal bloodline being carried on?"

"Oh. Well… we haven't really thought about it," lied Eugene as he rubbed the back of his neck. Truth be told, they've been trying for kids ever since Rapunzel hit 21. But for some reason it wasn't working out that well. And to make matters worse, it upset Rapunzel when they fail to produce a child.

"Well, I think you two should start thinking about it. Parenting doesn't get any easy the older you get. You two are at the right age to start taking care of a child. Especially _before_ you take the throne."

"Yes father," piped in Rapunzel.

"Oh look, you've made her uncomfortable Richard. Change the subject," demanded the Queen.

"Ah! Uh… how about that weather?" asked the King, attempting to make Rapunzel more comfortable and to release the awkwardness in the air. It didn't work.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was a bit awkward for Rapunzel after the breakfast conversation with her <em>dad<em>. They didn't talk much for the rest of the morning and eventually lunch rolled around. It was the first day of the week so the couple would be going to 'the Snugly Duckling' for lunch. As like the beginning of the day, the two didn't talk much on their way. Upon reaching the quaint diner, the two were greeted and given a table to sit at. The greeting wasn't a big one considering they came here once a week.

"So…" started Eugene as they waited for their order, "are we going to talk about this morning?"

"What's there to talk about Eugene?"

"Well, about children and what your father said…"

"All he said was he was hoping for grandchildren."

"Rapunzel, you're an only child. If we don't have a baby, there will be no one to take the crown after we pass."

"You think I don't know that? You think I'm trying not to get pregnant?"

"No! No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Fine, you want me to tell everyone here? You want me to announce it to the whole place? Fine then, I will!" she yelled.

"No! Rapunzel you don't have to tell-" he tried to stop her but it was too late. She was standing on the table already.

"May I have you attention, Snugly Duckling!" she screamed, grabbing everyone's attention. Eugene buried his face into his hands. He couldn't believe she was going to do this. "As you all know, or should know by now, Eugene and I have been married for 5 years now. But guess what? You are the first to hear this!"

Everyone in the bar was eager to hear what she had to say. Everyone but Eugene.

"I'm pregnant!"

Eugene sat strait up. Did he hear what he thought he heard? Not possible.

The place erupted in cheers! People clanked their mugs together in celebration. Eugene looked up at Rapunzel who was looking back at him with a wide grin on her face.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes! Were having a baby!" she giggled at him.

"That's… That's wonderful!" he responded. A rush of emotions came to him. After years and years of playing the emotionless Flynn Rider, it was a bit much for Eugene. He had passed out.

* * *

><p>When Eugene awoke, he had first noted he was still in the snugly duckling. He still heard a ruckus of cheering from everyone. Surely he couldn't have been out that long. He scanned the room and found Rapunzel happily dancing with some of the thugs.<p>

"Eugene, congratulations," a deep voice said. He turned around to see good 'ole Hook Hand. "Now can you get off my bar?"

"What? Oh, yeah sorry about that," he responded. When he passed out, they must have placed him on the bar so as to not take up a whole table. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know. Couple hours?" answered Hook Hand.

"What? Why is everyone still celebrating?"

"You idiot… your having a child! What's not to celebrate?"

"Thanks, Hook Hand."

"No problem."

Eugene walked over to Rapunzel. She was currently dancing with Vladimir and Gunther when she noticed Eugene awake. After he had erased the sight he saw of those two dancing out of his memory, he stretched his arms out, giving her the universal hug symbol. She graciously accepted the invite and entered his embrace.

"Can you believe it?" she asked him.

"Not really."

"3 years of trying and trying. And it finally happened. How does it feel to know you're going to be a father?"

"Amazing! But enough about me. When did you find out?"

"Well the tell tale signs were showing, or well in this case the sign was something _not_ showing, and I went to the royal midwife and, after much deliberation, it was determined that I am 6 weeks into being pregnant. At first I thought I was crazy when I thought my dresses felt tighter around the waist. Then I had that morning were I threw up."

"I thought that was the fish you ate."

"Nope. It turned out to be a baby!"

"How does it feel to know you're going to be a mother?"

"Amazing… and terrifying. I've been hoping for this for a long time. But at the same time… what if I'm not ready?"

"You will be," he comforted her. "You still have 8 months until it's brought into this world."

"And we'll handle it together?"

"Yes we will. Oh…my…goodness we're having a baby," said Eugene as he passed out again from a rush of emotions.

* * *

><p>They reached the palace much later than they had planned. The majority of the trip back consisted of Eugene saying 'we're having a baby' much like how he said 'her hair glows' the first time he saw her hair glow. When they arrived, the immediately told the King and Queen the good news. They were overly excited to hear the good news and decided to announce it to the kingdom that the princess was having a baby.<p>

Later that night, the couple decided to head to bed early. Eugene hadn't passed out in the most comforting ways and Rapunzel had danced away lunch time and much of the afternoon. They had gotten ready for bed and were lying down in bed together. They had always slept in the same position they had when Rapunzel snuck into Eugene's room 4 years ago after she had been robbed. Rapunzel really liked this sleeping arrangement because it made her feel safe.

"We're having a baby…" said Eugene.

"Ok, sweetie, that got old a while ago."

"I'm sorry I'm still in shock."

"It's ok. Not every day you get to be told you're going to be father," she comforted him.

"No kidding," he responded.

"Eugene… I still don't think I'll be ready for when the time comes."

"Blondie, after all you've been through, you'd be ready to take on the world."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. I couldn't think of anyone who would make a better mother than you would."

"You're so sweet…"

"What can I say? I try…"

"Eugene…"

"Yes?"

"What's going to happen after the baby is born?"

"Well, that's the best part really. You get to watch it grow up. You get to teach it right from wrong. You get to be its mother, and it will love you forever for it. You get to watch it have its own dreams."

"That does sound like the best part…"

"Yes it does. But there is a catch."

"What?"

"Childbirth."

"Eep!" squeaked Rapunzel. She had never really thought about childbirth. She knew what would happen and how it would be the single most painful experience of her life. But she never really thought about herself giving birth.

"Ha…" quietly laughed Eugene. "It's ok. You'll survive. Along with being able to take on the world, you've acquired some endurance over the years."

"Thank you Eugene. I needed that. I love you."

"I love you too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

They had said goodnight but neither one of them fell asleep. They both just laid there. Thinking about the incredible future they had in front of them

Rapunzel thought about teaching her son how to love someone. She thought about teaching her daughter how to love someone. She thought about teaching her child the important things in life.

Eugene thought about teaching his son how to treat a woman. He had thought about protecting his daughter from those rotten boyfriends of her. He thought about teaching his child how to live their life.

The baby wasn't even close to being born and yet they both felt a strong attachment to it. They didn't know its name or even what gender it was let alone what it looked like. They didn't know a thing about this baby except for one thing. That it was theirs to put all their love into.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** *smiley face* get ready guys and girls, every new chapter is the next month of her pregnancy. Up next, 2 months in (which will be June 20, note she says she 6 weeks in so 8 weeks is 2 weeks away)


	11. Chapter 11: June 20, year 5

**A/N:** 2 months into pregnancy! Yay Rapunzel!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: June 20, year 5<strong>

Two weeks have passed since Rapunzel had announced her pregnancy to everyone. The kingdom had celebrated a little in the knowledge of their princess carrying a baby. Rapunzel was given her own maid to assist with anything she needed. The maid would fetch her any food item or drink she would request, with Eugene assisting with the extreme requests. The Kingdom had found it to be bad luck if a pregnant woman didn't get something she wanted.

Over the past couple of weeks, Eugene had noticed extreme changes in mood. Well, for Rapunzel, they weren't _that_ extreme. One minute she would be dancing in the kitchen and the next, crying in a closet. One minute she would be all loving and caring and the next, angrily shouting at Eugene. He found that last one a little disturbing. He had assured himself it was all part of pregnancy.

"Eugene, could you do me another favor?" she asked.

"Yes, Rapunzel?" he responded.

"Could you run down to the Kitchen and get me a glass of orange juice?"

"All the way down there? Can't you get the maid to do it?"

"No, she has the day off."

"Ugh… fine your majesty."

"Excuse me?" she questioned. She sounded rather ticked off by his comment.

"You're only two months pregnant and you're working me like a dog. Why can't you go get it?" he told her.

"This is my first pregnancy Eugene. I don't know what could happen. I need to be here by the bathroom incase I need to throw up again," she explained. She was right about that. Every morning she had to throw up a little. Eugene wasn't a fan of morning sickness.

"But you're only 8 weeks in! The only thing you should be experiencing is morning sickness, rampant hormones, and an expanding waistline! You're not even showing yet!"

"Eugene, get out of my room. _Now!_" she yelled at him. Did he have no idea what she was going through? She had to wash her face 5 times a day due to the increase in hormones, throw up every morning thanks to morning sickness, and deal with her emotions being all over the place. All this along with learning how to be a Queen. It was too much for her to handle alone; at least for her first pregnancy it was.

"Fine!" he exclaimed. He marched out of their room and closed the door behind him. Who was she to command him? He still had lessons every other day, training to do incase Corona every came under attack, and now he had to answer to his wife's every beck and call? It was too much for him to handle alone; at least for his first child it was.

* * *

><p>Eugene had decided to go to his favorite place outside the palace after the argument. It was the only other place he had ever called home. He rounded the corner and there it was: the Orphanage. It didn't look like it changed at all since he had last been there.<p>

"You haven't changed a bit, eh Eugene?" asked someone from behind him. He had turned around and knew exactly who it was.

"Mother Francis!" he exclaimed. She was standing there with open arms and he gave her a hug.

"Look at you now Eugene… I remember when you first came here 20 years ago. Poor, broken, and sad. But now… married to the lost princess! An original rags to riches story."

"Yeah. But riches isn't an easy life. Especially when you have a hormonal wife who wants to kill you."

"Ah pregnancy… say Eugene, I know what would make you feel better. How's about reading to the kids? You loved to do that when you were here," she asked him.

"That's an amazing idea Mother Francis! I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not, Eugene. You always read stories better than I did anyways," she said. Mother Francis led Eugene into the orphanage. It hadn't changed much since he left. The main room still had all the same toys for the children to play with. The dining room still had the extraordinarily long table for 30. The only thing different was the occupants. Everyone that Eugene had come to know from his time at the orphanage had left. A new generation of children was here now.

Mother Francis made her way to a long rope that could be found in the kitchen. Lunch had been prepared by the cooks and so she had to call in the children. She pulled down on the rope and a loud bell could be heard. She pulled down two more times and children could be heard entering the orphanage. Before lunch, the children had recess and could roam the streets of Corona as long as they didn't get in trouble. If they did, they had to stay in their room during recess for the next week.

"Here Eugene," she told him. "Have something to eat." She handed him a peanut butter and jam sandwich, his favorite. "I made it myself."

"Mother Francis, you always made the best peanut butter and jam sandwiches."

"I know, dear, I know."

After all the children finished eating, Mother Francis told them of their guest storyteller. After the children helped clean up, they all gathered around the chair in the main room and Eugene took his seat as storyteller.

"This… is the story of how I died…"

* * *

><p>Rapunzel had gotten worried about Eugene after he stormed out of the palace. She was 2 months pregnant and she needed him desperately. She couldn't go one day without his help.<p>

She set out to find him in the city. She knew exactly where he would be. He had told her about his favorite place in the city and she quickly made her way to the Orphanage.

As she got closer to the Orphanage, she noticed children and adults alike, flocking to the building. When she saw the Orphanage, she could see it was packed! People were piling in for some reason. As she got closer she could just barely make out a voice. It was telling a story. Whoever it was, they were a hell of a storyteller to get a crowd this big. She found a window and decided to sit on the windowsill from the outside to see if she could hear the story. The spot wasn't enough to see the storyteller but she could hear it. It was her favorite story and her favorite storyteller.

"She slowly walked out from the shadows and I what I saw was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on. 'Who are you?' she asked me. I was speechless from her beauty but eventually, I told her my fake name. She wasn't impressed by my dashing good looks. She had told me that her name was Rapunzel. She was the lost princess, but neither of us knew that at the time. "

Rapunzel had decided to not make her presence known to Eugene. She was interested in hearing his side of the story

* * *

><p>"Princess Rapunzel was returned to her kingdom and dreams came true all over the place! Hook Hand became the most famous concert pianist in the kingdom! Some people even found true love! Now I know you're wondering: Do Rapunzel and I have a perfect relationship? Well, every relationship has its up's and down. But am glad to say, we couldn't be any happier."<p>

A roaring applause was heard as he finished his epic story. But he wasn't done. He always added a moral to the end of his stories.

"And the moral of this story is no matter what life throws at you, you can always count on your friends to help you through it. Without me, Rapunzel may never have been saved and without her, I may have never straightened out my life. It saddens me to say that I have recently lost my way and forgotten that lesson. But now that you all allowed me to tell you a story, I have seen the error of my ways. And on that note," he said, he slapped his hands on his knees and stood up, "I have a pretty little princess to apologize to."

"Eugene!" exclaimed someone from the audience. "Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me."

From the crowd popped out a gorgeous Princess Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel! I was just on my way to apologize about this morning."

"No need to. I heard everything."

"And I meant everything I said. I was wrong to yell at you. You're going through so much and I shouldn't have been like that. You need me and I promise to help you through all of this, no matter what."

"You're going through so much to. I should know that you have more things to do than wait on me all day."

"Rapunzel, you're going to have our baby. I _want_ to wait on you all day."

The couple hugged each other and the whole crowd said 'aww…' at the moment. Than the couple kissed and every child under the age of 13 said 'ew!'

* * *

><p>Eugene and Rapunzel were lying in bed late at night. Eugene had his nose in Rapunzel's hair. God how he loved the smell of her hair. It was definitely a love building day for the two of them and both of them relearned some important lessons they won't soon forget.<p>

"Eugene, we haven't thought about names for the baby," she told him. it took him a few seconds to respond as he took some long lasting sniffs of her smell.

"We don't know if it's a girl or a boy. How can we name it before it's born?" he asked.

"Well, we could come up with two names. One for a girl and one for a boy," she responded.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, how about something like Caroline for a girl?" she said

"I like it. What about Josephine?" he thought.

"Ooo. Trinity?"

"Even better. It sounds regal, beautiful, and majestic."

"So, Trinity if it's a girl, agreed?" she said.

"Agreed. And if it's a boy, how about something like Reginald?"

"Ew. Sounds like an old man's name. What about frank?"

"Sounds like a food item. Boy names are harder than girl names," said Eugene.

"Yeah… hm…" she pondered.

"Got one! What about Jordan?" he said.

"Hm… I like it. It's simple, easy, and perfect!"

"Ok. So Jordan if it's a boy. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Do you know how much I love you Eugene?"

"How much?"

"I love you to the moon and back," She told him.

"And I love you just as much," he retorted.

"That wasn't very creative."

"Hey, I'm not that creative."

"Just give it a try."

"Ok. First off, I don't think my love for you can be expressed with words alone, but I'll try. I love you more than everything in the world combined. I love you more than Flynnigan Rider. And that's huge for me to say."

"For someone who claims not to be creative, you sure do have a way with words," she admitted.

"Oh it's just beginners luck."

"No, I don't think so. Do you remember how you proposed to me? Or your wedding vows for me? You've been crafting creative genius for years now," she explained to him.

"You think so?"

"I know so. 7 more months to go… think we'll make it?"

"Of course. We have each other to lean on," he comforted her. And slowly the couple fell asleep. And with the day over, they had a name for their child and a renewed love for each other. It was a good day.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** This chapter started out as being a chapter for the child's name but it slowly morphed into something more. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be four months in instead of three months in. I've been reading about pregnancy and three months in is more or less boring. Four months is when a first pregnancy will start to show! So get ready for an even MORE emotional Rapunzel and a rather confused Eugene.


	12. Chapter 12: August 17, year 5

**A/N:** Happy Mother's day!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: August 17, year 5<strong>

Rapunzel was four months into pregnancy and she has started to show. Eugene thought her pooch was very cute and he tried to complement her about it every day. Recently, Rapunzel had been experiencing some normal abdominal pain and some stuffy noses as per pregnancy. She would wake up at odd times in the night for unexplained reasons just like she did this morning. However, this time it was slightly different.

Eugene had felt her get out of bed. He looked around and found her to be out on the balcony. It was a warm summer night with a slight breeze. By the looks of it, Eugene estimated it was about 2 o'clock in the morning. Her night gown was gently swaying with the wind as she leaned against the parapet of the balcony. The moon was big tonight and Rapunzel was staring at the moon. Her cute brown hair was bouncing in the wind in rhythm with her gown. If Eugene didn't know something was wrong, he would count it as one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen.

Eugene got out of bed and slowly walked over to the balcony. The door to the balcony was perched open so he was able to get outside without making a noise. He put his hands on her hips and embraced her from behind.

"What's wrong?" he quietly asked her. After the question he put his nose in her hair and began to sniff. She had turned her head into his chest and sighed.

"I'm scared. I had another nightmare. But it was different this time," she told him. She occasionally had nightmares but none of them genuinely scared her. They would usually just startle her.

"Want to talk about it?" he questioned.

"More than you know."

"What was it about?"

"It was a new nightmare. It was about our baby…"

'Hmm… that's new,' he thought to himself. "What happened?"

"There was a complication during childbirth… first the baby passed and then… and then I did… I couldn't see anything and I kept thinking about how distraught you were and how I promised to be by your side forever and I didn't keep my promise…" she told him. She had tears in her eyes. He knew how she felt about promises.

"But it's ok now. It's not real."

"But it can be!" she exclaimed, tears flowing down her face now. "I've never had a nightmare about the future… always the past."

"But it's only a dream."

"It felt so… real," she told him. "Just… just promise me everything will be ok."

"I promise you everything will be ok. Now let's get back to bed."

"You can go back. I'm going to stay out here for a little."

"That bed is nothing but comfortable anyways; I think I'll stay with you until you're ready to go back."

"Thanks…"

* * *

><p>After the nightmare episode, the morning was a standard one. The morning sickness had subsided as the months went on so besides some aches and pains, it wasn't out of the ordinary. They had decided that today would be the day they started on the Nursery. Rapunzel and Eugene had completely cleaned out one of their closets to be turned into the nursery. They had a big closet.<p>

"For the walls, I'm thinking blue," said Rapunzel.

"Sounds good," responded Eugene.

"Blue is horrible! What if it's a girl?" she exclaimed.

"Ok fine,"

"Stop agreeing with me!" she told him.

"What?" questioned Eugene.

"I don't know," said Rapunzel.

"Ok, uh… what about green? It's unisex."

"Pascal would get lose in green! He's green!"

"Rapunzel, he can be _any_ color. Not just green,"

"Blah… you're always right."

"Um… thanks?"

"I love you so much!" she exclaimed.

"I love you too," he said.

"Is that all you have to say?" she mimicked him saying 'I love you too'. "Why can't you tell me more than you love me?"

"Rapunzel! I don't know what you want!" he gasped.

"I'm a horrible person…" she sobbed.

"Huh? What the heck?"

"Ooo! What about green? It's unisex!"

"I already said that."

"Nonsense. I did. Green it is," she said as she walked out of the room to get the right color. Eugene just stood in the room, still shocked about what happened.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked himself. He was pondering what happened while Rapunzel went to get the paint. Perhaps she had some bad lunch. Perhaps she was too happy. That had to be it! She always happy! Eventually she must have gotten a so happy, that her brain malfunctioned. Yup, that was it.

"I have the green paint…" she said when she entered the room. "It reminds me of Pascal…"

"Where's Pascal?"

"On my shoulder… I haven't seen him for six seconds… I miss him."

"Um… Ok. So should we get started?"

"Ok!"

They started painting the room green. It was a nice shade of slightly dark green. Eugene was painting his half of the room when he came up with a brilliant idea. It may have been the paint fumes but he was feeling especially 'fun' and wanted to spread it to his better half. He told Rapunzel to stop painting for a minute and ushered her out of the room. He put down a bunch of paper on the floor and on the door way. Once he made sure everything but the walls had covering, he invited her back into the room.

"Eugene, what's going on?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing much," he started as he slowly dipped his brush into the green, "nothing but a sword fight! Too arms!" He flung his brush out in front of him and paint flew out from it.

"Eep!" she squealed as paint hit her. "Eugene! How dare you attack an unarmed woman!" she grabbed two paint brushes and dipped them in the paint. "And now you get to fight a dual-wielder of brushes!"

"That's not fair!" he screamed.

"There is no rules in paint war!" she yelled. She violently slashed her brushes in front of her, flinging paint everywhere.

"This doesn't look good. It's time for my secret weapon!" he pulled a large brush out of his pocket. The brush was easily twice the size of her brushes. When he attacked, large blobs of paint flung out. Before they knew it, the entire place was painted in green. Eugene had gotten close range and grabbed her wrists so she couldn't attack.

"I've got you now, Princess Rapunzel!"

"Not if I use my secret weapon!" she responded. She viciously attacked his lips with hers and he suddenly let go of her wrists. After the paint war, they surprisingly didn't get any paint on their face.

"My my, princess, that is one hell of a secret weapon."

"That wasn't the weapon, it was a distraction," she said as she poured the bucket of paint on his head.

"I win!" she proclaimed as she jumped up and down while clapping her hands excitedly.

"My hair!" wept Eugene.

* * *

><p>Well, the bad news was their clothing was ruined. The good news was that they needed a bath. Due to Eugene's over protectiveness, he insisted they had to take their baths together so he could be there if she needed him. He had drawn a nice hot bath for the green couple. They slid in and decided to simmer in the water for a while.<p>

"I think I'm ready, Eugene."

"Hmm? For what?" he asked.

"For this baby," she told him. "When I first learned about my pregnancy, I was scared and lost, but you helped me. After I saw you tell those kids the story two months ago, I realized that you will be a great father. Over the past 4 months I went through so many emotions but now... now I final feel that we're ready for this to happen."

"I knew we were ready for this for years now. Well, I doubt my fathering skills, but I know that you will turn out to be a great mother."

"You'll do fine Eugene," she assured him. "Now, it's time to get this paint out! I scrub you, you scrub me?"

"Sounds good!"

* * *

><p>Dinner time came around and, thankfully, they got all the green out before they had to eat in front of the King and Queen. The King and Queen would have had a bunch of questions if they showed up to dinner green.<p>

"Mother, what was the second half of pregnancy like?" asked Rapunzel.

"Well dear, I can't answer that one fully. Most of my pregnancy with you I spent bed ridden because of an illness. But I can tell you that once the baby gets bigger, it's going to be a lot harder to maneuver. You're going to crave extremely odd food."

"Well… that doesn't seem too bad."

"Not for you dear, No." said the King.

"You mean me?" questioned Eugene.

"Oh yeah. You're going to be running around this palace like you've never done before. And not to mention she will curse you for doing this to her," said the King. "It's going to be a lot harder for you that it is for her."

"Richard! You don't really think that, do you?" asked the Queen.

"Oh and you have _that_ to look forward to as well," retorted the King.

"Someone's sleeping on the couch…" mumbled the Queen.

"What! All I said was Eugene was going to be working hard to please the love of his life while she houses their child. What's wrong with that?" he asked. The Queen didn't respond but instead shot him a glare.

"Well, Richard, I look forward to serving my wife," Eugene told the King.

"Just don't let it stress you out," said the King.

"That's the first thing tonight I've heard you say that made sense," Lauren said.

"Eugene, do you think we'll bicker back and forth like that when were old?" joked Rapunzel.

"Hey now little girl, watch what you say. It'll come back to haunt you," said the king.

* * *

><p>All in all, it was a mixed emotion day for the couple. Rapunzel had her nightmare but then she got to play with Eugene in painting the nursery. She gained a little more knowledge about pregnancy. And now, she finally realized she was ready to have a baby. She just had to withstand 5 more months…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yay she's ready! 5 more months to go!


	13. Chapter 13: September 13, year 5

**A/N:** Five months in! Make sure to read the A/N at the end, it's important! Oh and stupid and it's broken document uploader issues :(

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 13: September 13, year 5<span>**

Eugene was sleeping peacefully into the night. It was around 4 o'clock in the morning when he was awoken by something. He had heard a loud, pain filled scream. It had to have been in his dream. He heard it again, but coupled with a name.

"EUGENE!"

He snapped awake. Frantically he looked around, to see what it could have been. Perhaps it was a nightmare and it rocked him awake. He surveyed the room and saw that the bathroom door was slightly ajar and the light on. He looked to his side and Rapunzel wasn't there. But then he heard it again.

"EUGENE!"

Ok, definitely not a dream. He leaped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. He opened the door but wished he hadn't. He saw Rapunzel shaking, her face skewed with pain. The image would forever be burned into his memory and it would haunt his every dream. But then he noticed something far worse: blood was running down her legs.

"Eugene… go get the doctor and the midwife! HURRY!" she screamed.

Without a moment's hesitation he ran out of their room and ran towards the infirmary. There was always a doctor on post in case something happened in the middle of the night. He didn't remember much of his run to the infirmary as everything seemed like just a blur to him.

He came around the corner and saw the door to the infirmary. He couldn't run any faster than he already was. He kept thinking about what would happen to Rapunzel if he didn't get her help in time. He also decided that he didn't have a use for doorknobs either as he barreled through the door, knocking it off its hinges. He scared the living hell out of the doctor and his current patient. As if by some miracle of the Sun, the midwife was his current patient. Because she was here, it would significantly reduce the time Rapunzel was alone.

"Eugene! What the hell? There is a way to open that door without knocking it down!" exclaimed doctor Jeremiah.

"It's…" he gasped for air, "It's Rapunzel! She's in an intense amount of pain! And I saw blood running down her legs! You have to help her!"

The doctor and the midwife shared panicked expressions with each other before the frantically got their equipment together.

"Eugene, I need you to wake up the King and Queen now!" yelled Jeremiah. "We'll meet you at your room!"

"Got it," agreed Eugene. He ran out of the infirmary towards the Royal Bedroom. Now that she had help on the way, he decided he didn't need to knock their door down as well. As like before, the sprint to the bedroom was nothing but a blur. Before he knew it, he was at the bedroom. Two guards stood outside. They tried to stop him but he barked at them that it was important, and it was.

He knocked on their door twice and launched open the doors.

"What is the meaning of this Eugene?" shouted the King, obviously disturbed that he barged in without being greeted into the room.

"Sorry sir, but it's your daughter," again he gasped mid sentence, "she's in tremendous pain and the doctor I fetched told me to wake you two."

"Say no more Eugene!" proclaimed the Queen. Eugene had never seen the King and Queen move so fast. In no time, they were already out the door before Eugene could catch his breath. They were all running to Rapunzel's bedroom.

When they arrived at the bedroom, the Midwife was outside the room.

"Only the Queen!" she told them as they approached. "I need the king and Eugene to stay out here for a while."

"What's happening? Tell me?" demanded Eugene.

"We don't know. As soon as we figure out what it is, we'll tell you."

Then, suddenly, the door was closed and Eugene was standing alone in the hallway with the King. He felt… powerless.

* * *

><p>Every second felt like a year to Eugene. He just paced back and for outside his room. It was killing him not being able to help. He felt sick to his stomach. Every time he heard Rapunzel scream, his stomach turned upside down. Thankfully, the king could see his discomfort and brought him a bucket.<p>

"Eugene, if you feel like you're going to-" said the King as he was cut off by another ear shattering scream. He didn't need to finish his sentence as Eugene took the bucket from his hands and threw up in it.

"Thank you, sir," was all Eugene could say before another scream came and another influx of vomit arose.

"Eugene. I know exactly how you feel. I felt this when my wife was sick with Rapunzel. I couldn't do anything to help her. I, the King, felt powerless," he confided in Eugene.

"It's killing me, sir."

"She'll be fine."

Eugene had noticed a decline in the volume emitting from his room and feared the worse. He just stared at the door. He _knew_ someone was going to walk out of that door and tell him she was dead. He never wanted to see that door open.

But at the same time, maybe it meant she was ok. Maybe someone was going to walk out of the room and tell him she was ok. If that door opens, he wouldn't be in the dark anymore. But if that door opens, it could be the end of his world.

* * *

><p>Seconds slowly became minutes and minutes became hours. Eugene could see the sun rise but he didn't care about it. His gaze always shifted to the haunting door. Now, no noise could be heard inside at all. It was driving him insane.<p>

"Eugene, let's go get something to eat," said the King.

"I can't leave here. Not now."

"Jeremiah is our best doctor. She's in good hands. Now, come," demanded the King.

Eugene slowly lifted himself up. His legs were shaking as they walked to the kitchen. Servants, butlers, and maids rushed to them and asked them so many questions about Rapunzel. However, neither of them could answer their questions. Finally, they made it to the kitchen.

"I have the perfect thing for you. It helped me get through my wife's illness. I call it a donut," said the King. He went and got necessary ingredients to make said product. Eugene just sat and waited. He was shaking from fear and unknowing. The king had walked back into the kitchen and put the ingredients down on the table.

"Shouldn't you have a cook do that for you, sir?" asked Eugene.

"Nope. You will."

"I don't cook. Besides, I'm shaking too much to do so."

"That's the point. It'll take your mind off things. Come, I'll teach you."

Eugene reluctantly walked over to the counter and was directed by his father-in-law in how to make donuts. It had occupied a good thirty minutes of the day to make and Eugene would admit that it did help him out; more so than he thought it would. Not to mention he made a mean donut.

"Feeling better, my boy?" questioned the king.

"Admittedly so, sir."

"Good. Now, we go back to waiting."

'Great…' thought Eugene.

* * *

><p>They had returned to their normal waiting spots outside the room. It felt good to have something in his stomach after all the throwing up he did earlier.<p>

Just as he was able to calm himself down, his heart jumped into his throat as the door to his room opened up. Jeremiah, the midwife, and the Queen walked out of the room.

"She's waiting inside for you Eugene," said the Queen.

Eugene spent no time talking and all his time running into his room. The Queen walked over to the King and hugged him.

"What happened dear?" asked the King.

"Let's just say, it's going to be a huge test for them."

* * *

><p>Eugene could see Rapunzel in the bed. She was balled up and facing away from the door. She had heard him come in but decided not to face him.<p>

"Rapunzel?" he questioned.

"I'm still here…" she said.

A wave of relief washed over him. "Thank the sun, you're still alive."

"Eugene…" she sobbed.

"Yes?" he asked. He was still standing behind her.

"Don't hate me."

"Rapunzel, I could never, _never_, hate you."

"Yes, you could."

He could tell she wasn't telling him something. "What happened?"

"Eugene…" she started, she was crying now. "I lost the baby…"

Eugene dropped to his knees. His world was shattered. All that they've been through was for nothing. They had a name for the baby; they had a nursery for the baby. And now the baby was gone. He was utterly defeated.

"Rapunzel, I could never hate you. You are still the love of my life and always will be," he told her. He had leaned against the bed. He still couldn't believe it.

"We had tried so hard for this baby…" she sobbed.

Eugene couldn't speak anymore as tears started to flow down his face.

"I have been through so much," she said. "I was brought up in a fake home, I watched the love of my life die, and I've been robbed. I thought I was ready for anything. But this… this is too much for me."

'Why?' Eugene thought to himself. 'She doesn't deserve this. She is the nicest, sweetest, lovable, person in the world. Why did this have to happen?'

"Eugene… what do we do now?"

"I don't know…"

* * *

><p>Eugene helped Rapunzel down to the dining room for dinner. Every time someone asked her what happened, she had to stop for a little bit to catch back up with herself. Luckily, it got easier to tell people what happened every time she had to tell someone. Eventually, they made it to the dining room. The food was already served but the King and Queen didn't start eating.<p>

"You guys didn't have to wait for me," said Rapunzel.

"Yes we did," responded the Queen.

"We can't eat without the whole family!" exclaimed the King. He had gotten out of his seat and walked over to help Rapunzel to the table. Once seated, they began to eat. Rapunzel hadn't eaten all day and welcomed the food graciously. In between dinner and desert, they had decided to talk about what happened.

"Mother, why did this happen?" quietly asked Rapunzel.

"We're not really sure. It could be any number of things."

"Should we be afraid to try for another child?" asked Eugene. "You know, when she's ready."

"Of course not! Just because one child didn't make doesn't mean you shouldn't give another one the chance," explained the King.

"But what if it happens again?" asked Rapunzel.

"Then I, as King, will banish the evil spirit plaguing my daughter!" joked the King. It warranted a smile from Rapunzel but nothing more. She was so depressed that it seemed like she would never be able to laugh again.

"Don't worry Rapunzel, this is just an isolated incident. Things will get better, I promise you," promised the Queen.

"I sure hope so…"

"I know so. Now let's eat dessert. It'll cheer you up."

* * *

><p>Rapunzel and Eugene fell asleep quite fast after the day's events. They had been through so much in one day, it was unfair. The experience was unfair for anyone it happened to. But it was a part of life. Why it happened to Rapunzel was unclear. She was the only person the entire kingdom thought didn't deserve to have a miscarriage. But it had, and the couple would have to just keep going, not only for the kingdom, but for themselves.<p>

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:** This chapter is dedicated to any woman that had the unfortunate experience of miscarriage. My mother had a miscarriage between me and my sister and it was the hardest thing she had ever went through. I know Rapunzel doesn't exist but she needs your support (reviews) to help her get through this.


	14. Chapter 14: January 15, year 5

**A/N:** OMG IM SO SORRY. Finals and final projects have been taking all of my time. I'm sorry! I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: January 15, Year 5<strong>

The past four months have been the hardest of the couple's life. Every day was another living nightmare. Eugene had found that Rapunzel spent most of her time in the nursery. She would just sit against the wall staring at the baby toys and the crib. Eugene couldn't remember the last time she laughed and that saddened him deeply. If she wasn't in the nursery, she would be in the garden. Again, she would just sit and stare. She wasn't herself.

The kingdom had unknowingly mimicked their princess. The streets were almost barren. When they weren't, the people didn't speak often. The all walked around like zombies. The Kingdom had went from being full of color and sunshine to being dull and grey.

This morning, Eugene found Rapunzel in her usual spot in the nursery. It was killing him to see her like this, so far away from usual happy and energetic self. He had to do something. For the first time sense the miscarriage, Eugene walked into the nursery and took a seat right next to Rapunzel.

"hey…" he greeted her. He didn't expect her to respond much to him. For a while, she didn't talk much and he missed the sound of her voice.

"hey…" she responded. Then they just sat there for a while. Eugene looked at the crib and the toys in the green nursery. Much to his surprise, she started a conversation.

"Do you know what today is?" she asked.

"Um… January 15?"

"More specifically…"

"Oh…" he sighed. It dawned on him that this was the predicted delivery date. They were usually wrong but it meant a lot to the run down couple.

"Ugh…" she said putting her face into her hands. "Why is this so hard…"

"I… I don't know" he told her.

"How could it be that I feel this broken about losing something I never got to meet?" she questioned.

"Because it was ours. It was _our_ child. A person for us to raise and watch them experience life like we had. And now… it's gone. Never given a chance to live in our world" Explained Eugene. She turned on her side and put her head on top of his chest. A tear could be seen on her cheek and Eugene gently wiped it away. "Do you remember the first time you saw the lanterns?"

"Of course I do Eugene. It was the best day of my life."

"Do you remember asking me if it wasn't going to be like you dreamed it would be like? And then asking me what if it was?"

"Yes…"

"Well, this is the opposite of what happened that day. This is if your dream doesn't come true."

"Yeah… it definitely feels that way."

"However," he said, "this has an even better after-event."

"What?" she asked.

"When your dream comes true, you get to find a new one. But when your dream doesn't come true, you keep at it. It makes it all the better in the long run."

"I don't know…"

"Rapunzel Fitzherbert I didn't know you where a quitter."

"Excuse me?" she said. She lifted herself off his chest and stared at him.

"Just because life throws you for a loop is no reason to give up!" he said at an alarmingly high voice. "You know what you do? You get right back on your feet and keep going forward, only looking back to remember; never to dwell."

"I don't know that I can keep going forward…" she said as she returned to her sitting up position.

"You? Of all the people in the kingdom, you don't think _you_ can keep going forward? Gosh darn it, id expect you to be the first one to move forward!"

"Gosh… Darn it?" she questioned, poking fun at him for the use of the phrase.

"Rapunzel look at me," he said. He turned to meet her gaze and put his hands on her shoulders. "You are the strongest, most beautiful woman I had ever met in my entire life. You have to keep moving forward! If not for yourself, than for me and the kingdom."

"I don't think I can do it…" she said again, returning to her sulking self.

"Then let me help you. Let me help you get back on your feet."

"Eugene. Don't you feel any bit of sadness for what happened?"

"More than you can imagine dear. But I'm moving forward. What happened was horrible and I will _never_ forget it but we mustn't get stuck on the bad things in life."

"I'm going to need a lot of that help you mentioned to get back on my feet…"

"Then don't use your feet!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. He bent over and scooped up Rapunzel.

"Eugene!" she yelped. She threw her arms around him. "Put me down!"

"No can do missy!" he told her. They were already in the hallway and Eugene was picking up the pace. The faster he went the more excited she got. Every few seconds he would hear her scream his name but he wouldn't stop. He felt a death grip around his neck.

He finally ran out of energy near the main hall. He came to a stop in the hallway but didn't put her down.

"Eugene! What were you thinking?" she yelled.

"I'm getting you started!" he responded. He gently put her on her feet and she hugged him.

"Thank you…"

"Oh I'm not done yet," he told her.

"You can barely breathe! How do you expect to carry me around some more?" she asked. She noticed a sly grin on her face she hasn't seen in a long time. He only dared this maneuver once before and she knew it was coming. "Oh no… no no no no no!" she tried to run but it was too late!

He grabbed her hips and captured her. She struggled to get out of his range but she failed. Then, before she knew it, he attacked! He started with the grand daddy of all tickle attacks, the side poke! Rapunzel had a spot just north of her hips that, when poked, sent her jumping. She yelped a few times as he successfully landed a few attacks. Then he moved on to the general finger tickle assault! She started laughing uncontrollably. A few maids and servants recognized the sound of her laughter almost immediately and came over to see what the fuss was all about. Rapunzel was in a ball now as the assault continued.

"Eugene!" she exclaimed. "I can barely breathe!" he quickly turned down the tickling and came to a finish.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you laugh," he told her.

"You have no idea how good it feels to laugh after so long…"

"I bet. Now, I want to show you something," he said. He led her into the main hall and out the front door. Rapunzel hadn't seen the city for the past couple months and was shocked to see it in such a despair state.

"How did this happen?" she asked.

"Rapunzel, you are their princess. As much as you love them, they love you back all the same. When you became broken, so did they."

"Eugene. Go get hook-hand, I've got an idea."

* * *

><p>Hook-hand and his band came to the city square as soon as possible. Waiting for them was Rapunzel in one of her bright pink dresses.<p>

"Good! You got here fast! Hook-hand, as soon as you get set up, just play anything upbeat that we can dance to!"

"Got it!" he responded. His mood had all ready brightened at seeing Rapunzel in a good mood.

With great speed, the band got set up in no time and started playing one of Hook-hand's most famous songs. It was a great song to dance to as well. Everything about the song was uplifting.

"Come-on!" she demanded as she took Eugene's hand and led him into the center of the square. The couple started dancing to the song upon entering the center. Within seconds, people could be seen looking out their windows to see what all the hubbub was about. Much to their pleasure, it was their princess! And she was dancing! Soon a crowd gathered and Rapunzel urged them to join in.

As if it was a holiday, the entire city had to be in the square dancing. Shortly after, the King and Queen had walked out of the palace to see what was going on. Upon seeing their daughter dancing and being happy, a wave of relief had passed over them.

"Well, Lauren, it seems as though they passed that test you mentioned," said the King.

"And they aced it with flying colors," responded the Queen.

* * *

><p>Dinner was bearable again now that Rapunzel was her old self again. She was talking a mile a minute but it didn't bother anyone. In fact, they preferred it. Even her voice just made people happier. She talked about everything she noticed during the dancing. She had said something about Miss Grey dancing with Mr. Pinrose and how great of a couple she thought they would make. She had said a few things about how big the group was and how diverse in age it was.<p>

"As long as you had a good time, Rapunzel," said the Queen.

"Oh I did! And it wouldn't have happened without my hero!" she yelled. She tightly hugged Eugene and quickly resumed eating again.

"Oh it was nothing…" said Eugene.

"Don't be so modest!" countered Rapunzel. "You taught me something I won't soon forget. You can count on that."

Dessert was a bit quieter than dinner was mostly because Rapunzel spent most of the time kissing Eugene on his cheek. After Dessert, the two pair's where about to make ways to their separate bedrooms when the King pulled Eugene over to the side for a little one on one.

"She has four months of emotions pent up inside. She's going to want to release all that in one night," said the king.

"Are you giving me advice on what to do tonight, sir?" asked Eugene.

"No, of course not. I'm just telling you to not wake up the entire palace tonight. Ok?"

"Yes sir. I promise."

Needless to say, Eugene broke that promise.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Rapunzel had lost her way for a little bit. Perhaps that's why I didn't update in a while because she was sulking the whole time. And yes, that last little bit means _exactly_ what you think it means ;D. I mean, this is rated T.


End file.
